HOUSTON – A man charged in connection with a street-racing crash that killed a pastor and his wife last year was sentenced Tuesday and will spend 12 years in prison.
Investigators said Alexis De Larosa Sosa was driving a pickup the night of April 12, 2016, and racing a car on North Sam Houston Parkway. He ran a light at Bammel North Houston Road and crashed into a BMW.
Jesse Estrada Sabillon and his wife, Marisa, were in the BMW. Both died at the scene.
Sosa ran from the scene, investigators said, but turned himself in to authorities a few days later.
Sosa was charged with two counts of failure to stop and render aid and two counts of felony racing.
During a hearing Tuesday, Sosa pleaded guilty to the charges and was sentenced to 12 years in prison for each charge, to be served concurrently.
VIDEO: Victims' son speaks at hearing
Allen Sabillon, the son of the victims, spoke in court about missing his regular phone call to his mother.
"The daily phone call at 8 a.m. that I would make to my mother, I can no longer do," Allen Sabillon said.
He later spoke to the Sosa.
"My family will not let this define us," Allen Sabillon said. "I am not afraid of you. I will pray for you."
Sosa addressed the family during the hearing.
"I want to ask you to forgive me," Sosa said. "Since that day, God has transformed me. I want to live the rest of my life in God's path. I ask you to forgive me."
“For him to come forward to face and look at us in the eye and say will you forgive me, that demonstrates the qualities of an honorable man,” Allen Sabillon said.
Sabillon said this after Sosa stood up in court and asked for forgiveness.
The driver of the second vehicle involved in the racing has not been found. Anyone with information about that driver was asked to call Crime Stoppers at 713-222-8477.
The victims son, Allen, spoke out after the sentence, saying "I'm not scared of you, I pray for you, I forgive you." pic.twitter.com/w4XDBF2EVV
— Sofía Ojeda (@KPRC2Sofia) January 10, 2017
