A driver who crashed and killed a passenger, a young El Cajon man, after going 100 mph, was sentenced Dec. 14 to seven years in state prison.
San Diego Superior Court Judge Timothy Walsh ordered Sajjad Ismael, 20, to pay $7,500 for the funeral expenses of Isaac Garcia, 18, who was killed on May 17.
Ismael was in a hurry to take his friends to the beach at 1:30 p.m. on Interstate 8 near Waring Road when he clipped another vehicle. That caused his vehicle to travel up a hillside where it struck two trees and then rolled back down to the freeway.
A driver who crashed and killed a passenger, a young El Cajon man, after going 100 mph, was sentenced Dec. 14 to seven years in state prison.
San Diego Superior Court Judge Timothy Walsh ordered Sajjad Ismael, 20, to pay $7,500 for the funeral expenses of Isaac Garcia, 18, who was killed on May 17.
Ismael was in a hurry to take his friends to the beach at 1:30 p.m. on Interstate 8 near Waring Road when he clipped another vehicle. That caused his vehicle to travel up a hillside where it struck two trees and then rolled back down to the freeway.
Walsh imposed six years for Ismael’s guilty plea to gross vehicular manslaughter and added one year for hit and run as Ismael ran from his wrecked car and hid in a bushy area.
Ismael, of San Diego, said nothing in court and he made no statements to a probation officer who was writing a sentencing report. He was given credit for serving 424 days in jail and fined $4,494.
Deputy District Attorney Daniel Shim said the crash occurred because of Ismael’s reckless driving and speed. Ismael was driving on a suspended license due to a previous DUI, which might have been why he fled the scene.
Another passenger who survived the crash said Ismael was “going way too fast” and it was estimated he drove at 100 mph at some point. Ismael was denied probation.
Man pleads guilty to poisoning wife
A Dulzura man pleaded guilty Dec. 11 to three counts of premeditated attempted murder in the poisoning of his wife who is a former teacher at Campo Elementary School.
Race Remington Uto, 28, is expected to receive a prison term of 21 years to life, said Deputy District Attorney Paul Reizen.
Reizen said Uto will receive seven years on each count which will be run consecutively. El Cajon Superior Court Judge Robert Amador set sentencing for March 14, 2019.
Brigida Uto, 28, became ill in September 2017 with persistent nausea and vomiting, but the cause was not properly diagnosed initially, according to court records.
After numerous tests in a hospital in March, she was found with extremely high levels of Thallium, which is a heavy metal similar to mercury and used in rat poisoning and as an ant killer.
Thallium has been banned for sale in the U.S. and Race Uto purchased it twice on the Internet. He admitted to putting the drug in her food in August and December 2017, and in January.
Court records say searches of Thallium research were found on his cell phone. Thallium has been classified as a weapon of mass destruction by the U.S. government.
Brigida Uto’s symptoms became worse before she was diagnosed, and she developed chronic pain. She did not have the strength to walk or open a door, according to court records. The couple began dating in 2008.
Race Uto remains in jail on $2 million bail.
Sexual abuser faces one year in prison
An El Cajon psychiatrist has pleaded guilty to a felony charge of having sexual contact with patients and a misdemeanor sexual battery charge.
Dr. Leon Fajerman, 75, will face up to one year in jail with probation and will have to pay some type of restitution, said Deputy District Attorney Carolyn Matzger.
Chula Vista Superior Court Judge Francis Devaney set sentencing for Jan. 18, 2019. Fajerman remains free on $200,000 bond.
Devaney may require Fajerman to register as a sex offender, but will also consider alternatives to jail, said Matzger.
Fajerman also worked out of offices in Chula Vista, San Ysidro and San Diego.
He no longer practices psychiatry, as he voluntarily surrendered his license after the Medical Board of California began investigating his clients’ complaints in 2017.
