Windsor Man Sentenced To 15 Years To Life In Prison, Found Guilty Of Murder For Drunk Driving

Press release from the Sonoma County Government:

July 27, 2021

SONOMA COUNTY, CA — Defendant Josimar Ortiz-Ortiz, 29 years old from Windsor, was sentenced Monday, July 26 by the Honorable Peter Ottenweller to serve 15 years to life in state prison. On June 28 of this year, a jury found him guilty of second-degree murder for driving while intoxicated, crossing over the double yellow lines on Old Redwood Highway, and killing 60-year-old Jose Beltran.

District Attorney Ravitch stated, “Once again, another tragic and senseless loss of life at the hands of an impaired driver. There is no excuse for driving under the influence of alcohol or controlled substances. If you drive impaired and kill someone it is an inherently dangerous act and you may be convicted of murder.”

On Oct. 30, 2018, Ortiz-Ortiz drank about 8 beers on his way home from work. By the time he was heading south on Old Redwood Highway towards Windsor, his blood-alcohol content was .23. As he drove, Ortiz wove in his lane and crossed the double yellow lines twice before crashing into Mr. Beltran, who was driving north to Healdsburg. The crash was so violent that both cars spun out and landed in a ditch about 230 feet apart. After Mr. Beltran’s car smashed into a pole on the driver’s side he was trapped and had to be removed by fire personnel. He died in the ambulance on the way to the hospital.

Ortiz-Ortiz was previously convicted of driving under the influence in 2015. He was advised by the court at his sentencing that if he continued to drink and drive and killed someone he could be charged with murder. Ortiz-Ortiz also attended the mandated drunk driving program where he learned about the dangers of drinking and driving.

The case was investigated by the California Highway Patrol and prosecuted by Deputy District Attorney Marianna Green.

This press release was produced by the Sonoma County Government. The views expressed here are the author’s own.