Former Marine Pleads Guilty to Vehicular Homicide, DWI in Bergen County Superior Court

By Travis Tormey posted in Homicide on Sunday, February 9, 2014

lodi vehicular homicide.jpgAfter killing two men in the process of driving while intoxicated, a former Marine from Lodi, New Jersey recently accepted a plea agreement from the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office and will serve seven years in New Jersey State Prison.

31-year-old Lodi resident, Marine veteran, and father, Jacob Cintron, pleaded guilty to vehicular homicide and driving while intoxicated before Bergen County Superior Court Judge Liliana DeAvila-Silebi on Friday, February 7th in connection with an incident that occurred on October 2, 2011 along Route 80 in Saddle Brook, New Jersey.

According to prosecutors, New Yorkers Wilfredo Pena and Virgilio Segundo-Fernandez-Urena were in the process of changing a tire on the side of the road when they were hit by Cintron’s vehicle. The defense argued that the victims were in a badly lit emergency-only zone before they stepped in front of the car, a contention that was vigorously refuted by Segundo-Fernandez-Urea’s mother, who was in his car at the time.

Cintron’s defense attorney requested leniency from Judge DeAvila-Silebi at sentencing. On the other hand, Assistant Bergen County Prosecutor Martin Delaney argued that although the defendant had no intention of injuring the victims, intent is not an influencing factor when legally considering his reckless behavior. In addition, Cintron refused to submit to a breath test following the incident and was required to be blood tested after the fact.

Refusal to Submit to a Breath Test is also considered a violation under the New Jersey Criminal Code. According to N.J.S.A. 39:4-50.4a, such offenses are punishable by a period of license suspension ranging from seven months to one year. In addition, if it is individual’s second offense, he or she is subject to a two-year license suspension, while if it is their third or subsequent offense, the revocation is for ten years.

In this case, the judge ultimately imposed a sentence of four years imprisonment in connection with Pena’s death, as well as three years in connection with the death of Segundo-Fernandez-Urena. Cintron was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $3,000 to New Jersey’s Victims of Crime Compensation fund.

For more information pertaining to this case, access the following article: Marine vet from Lodi gets 7 years for Saddle Brook DWI crash that killed two


NJ CRIMINAL LAW VIDEO LIBRARY

If you’ve been charged with a criminal offense, disorderly persons offense, or traffic / DWI violation, you have the right to an attorney who will defend you against your charges and fight for your best interests. To learn more about how your attorney can fight to have your charges dismissed or reduced, click a link below to see our video library of legal defenses and strategies.