Carson City DA: Lengthy sentence handed down in police chase, DUI crash
Submitted by editor on Tue, 06/29/2010 - 6:06pm
A Carson City man was sentenced to nearly 21 years in prison following his April guilty plea to multiple felony charges.
According to a press statement released today by the Carson City District Attorney's Office, Orasio Gutierrez-Murillo, 26, was sentenced after he pled guilty to possession of a stolen vehicle, felony eluding a police officer, possession of a controlled substance, and driving while under the influence of methamphetamine resulting in substantial bodily injury.
Gutierrez-Murillo must serve a minimum of 100 months before parole eligibility. A charge of assault with a deadly weapon was dropped.
Gutierrez-Murillo was arrested on Oct. 15, 2009, after the owners of a stolen Toyota Landcruiser, taken two days earlier, spotted their vehicle at a shopping center on US Highway 50 in Carson City. When sheriff’s deputies attempted to stop the vehicle near 5th Street and Saliman, Gutierrez-Murillo led them on a 16 minute chase through downtown Carson City and adjoining neighborhoods, onto the lawn of the Carson City Community Center, culminating in a high-speed collision with another car in Lyon County. The other vehicle’s two occupants were taken by CareFlight to Reno with serious injuries.
Gutierrez-Murillo ran from the stolen car after the collision, but was immediately caught by sheriff’s deputies, according to the press statement. He had a bag of methamphetamine in his pants pocket and told a paramedic that he had ingested methamphetamine five hours earlier. A blood draw taken at the hospital revealed methamphetamine in his system, according to the press statement.
In court, Assistant District Attorney Gerald Gardner played the mobile video recording of the chase taken from the dashboard camera of one of the pursuit vehicles, according to the press statement.
The video shows Gutierrez-Murillo speeding through stop signs and red lights in downtown Carson City, weaving in and out of heavy afternoon traffic, driving the wrong way down Highway 50, and driving across the lawn of the Carson City Community Center. The video follows the chase eastbound on Highway 50, with the defendant reaching speeds of 80 miles per hour. The video shows the patrol vehicle arriving at the crash scene seconds after the collision, and shows Gutierrez-Murillo being nearly struck by the patrol car as he attempts to flee from the crash scene on foot, according to the press statement.
District Judge James Wilson sentenced Gutierrez-Murillo to 12 to 30 months for possession of a stolen vehicle, 28 to 70 months for felony eluding, and 60 to 150 months for DUI causing substantial bodily injury. All counts were ordered to run consecutively, according to the press statement.
“This man put dozens of people in harm’s way. He drove past day-care centers, through residential neighborhoods, onto the lawn of our community center, and ended up seriously injuring two innocent people," said Carson City District Attorney Neil Rombardo. "It’s a miracle no one was killed.”
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