By LARRY WELBORN
The Orange County Register
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SANTA ANA – A single mother of two fought back tears, apologized and asked for forgiveness moments before she was sentenced to nearly 10 years in prison today for causing the death of a college student in a drunken, wrong-way crash on the 55 freeway in November 2007.
DUI Victim Pauline Samantha Portes
Superior Court Judge Gary S. Paer called the Nov. 30, 2007 death of Pauline Samantha Portes, 19, "a complete disaster for all involved" before he sentenced Yanira Ramirez, 28, of Fontana, to nine years and eight months in prison for vehicular manslaughter.
Paer said his sentencing decision was a tough one, especially after he heard poignant victim-impact statements from several of Portes' family and friends who packed the gallery of the 10th floor courtroom.
"I never knew how hard it was for a mother to lose a child until it happened to me," wept Teresa Angeles, the victim's mother. "It seems like a part of me was broken and I don't know how I could mend it back."
Pauline Portes, who was called Sam by her family and friends, was killed when the small pickup truck in which she was a passenger was hit head-on on the 55 freeway in Orange near the Lincoln Avenue off-ramp by a sedan driven by Ramirez in the early morning hours of Nov. 30, 2007. Steven Nguyen, her boyfriend, the driver of the pickup, was injured.
Authorities could not determine how Ramirez ended up driving the wrong way on the freeway.
Ramirez told Paer she does not remember the collision or what led up to it, but even so she acknowledged that she cannot justify her actions.
She admitted to investigators to drinking four Crown Royal and colas, two Patron tequila shots and three Jagermeister "bombs" earlier in the evening at the Cheesecake Factory and Tia Juana's bar in Irvine, according to police reports.
She was raising two children, 9 and 5, and did not have a prior record for driving under the influence.
Deputy District Attorney Jason Baez called Portes' death an "aggravated case" caused by the grossly negligent driving of the defendant.
Baez asked for the maximum sentence of 13 years, eight months.
Contact the writer: 714-834-3784 or lwelborn@ocregister.com
The drunk driver should have received a life sentance. She doesn't deserve to ever see her kids again. Pauline's mom will never see her daughter again so sentencing the driver to life would only be the right thing to do.
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ReplyDeleteI worked with Yanira Ramirez @ Verizon Wireles in Irvine and anytime people from work would get together for drinks after work, word would spread the next business day all over the department on how drunk Yanira got.
ReplyDeleteShe'd get so drunk, she'd start giving random guys lap dances and making a total fool of herself. I was there for several of those after work get togethers and witnessed it myself. She was always a drunken mess at these "after work get-togethers".
Her and I were not friends but shared a lot of mutual friends because we worked in the same department obviously, so we'd be within the same group of friends at these outings, then the next day at work, she'd be the source of all the gossip because of her massive drinking and foolish behavior.
Yanira may not have had any previous DUI's, because luck was on her side all those previous times, but her luck ran out. It was only a matter of time before she got busted, and unfortunately an innocent young woman paid the price for Yanira's stupidity and poor judgement.
THEN IF U WERENT FRIEND AND U CANT SAY ANYTHING RIGHT THAN SHUT THE FK UP EVEN IF SHE GOT FK UP SHE WOULDNT DRIVE AND WHY ARE U HATTING CUZ GUYS LIKE HERE AND UR UGLY ASS COULDNT GET NOT EVEN A FKN FLY TO STAND ON YOU HOW ABOUT U JUST KEEP UR MOUTH CLOSE NOBODY ASK U HOW OR WAT SHE WOULD DO WEN SHE DRANK EVERYONE KNWS SHE WOULDNT DRIVE SO TOO THAT NOTE SHUT THE FK UP
DeleteYANIRA IS A BEAUTIFUL PERSON INSIDE AND OUT. I DONT KNOW HOW PEOPLE COULD JUDE HER SO MUCH THEY WERENT THERE BETTER YET WHO ARE THEY? I KNOW SHE MADE MISTAKES AND WILL NEVER BE PERFECT BUT EVERYTHING SHE DID THROUGH HER LIFE WAS NEVER IN ANY INTENTIONS OF HURTING ANYONE. IT WAS AN ACCIDENT. IM SORRY FOR THE FAMILY LOST. SHE HAS ALSO SUFFER THROUGH THIS AND SO HAS HERE LOVES ONES. AND ABOUT THIS PERSON WORKING WITH HER MAYBE YOUR JUST JELOUS OF HERE AND SO SHE DID DO WHAT EVER YOU SAID THATS HER PERSONAL LIFE SHES A GOOD MOTHER SISTER DAUGHTER AND FRIEND
ReplyDeleteall you people that talk so much shit of yanira just talk because you got a mouth but let see how many mf were there when all this happen huh? none lets see let now go and back up why didnt that m.... f... the put shit on her drink aint doing time why didnt he go to jail? well the good thing i know for a fact that even if yani did a mistake she is paying but i bet you that she regrets it. and that mother fucker that did have the balls to admit wat he did he will have hard night and days and let me say their is a god and one day he that mf will pay his part one day so all you that talk shit watch wat you say cuz we aint nobody to judge and to point out cuz in the long run we can make a bad decision that we never think that we would do.things just happen remember
ReplyDeleteHere's an app that lets you vent your road rage and rate bad driver online.
ReplyDeleteI knew Pauline. Thank you for posting this. I miss her a lot. I worked at a teen center where she was a student, and it saddens me so much that she is dead. This woman, Yanira Sanchez, should have killed herself before it ever came to this. She murdered a young girl in the prime of her life.
ReplyDeletebitch how about u shut ur fkn mouth also bitch u aint perfect who the fk r u to judge her.you dnt even knw wat u r saying bitch so shut the fk up and next time u try posting stupid shit think before u write stupid ass hoe
DeleteStfu! This is my mother your talking about! How would you feel if you couldn't see your mother,? You cant hear her voice in the morning she cant give you advice, cant have mommy and me time. Cant see her for half of your childhood?
ReplyDeleteNone of you know. I do, I suffer the pain, and I go through it daily. She didnt put that pill in there, the guy did. I hope he dies! He took her away from me! I cant touch her, I cant do anything with her and for the girl up there, can seriously shut the fuck up you annoying bitch! What if it was you that were in jail? Away from your kids? You wouldnt like it would you? No so stop talking your shit man.
which girl mija I aint against your mom I am your moms friend you can ask wen you talk to her And tell her mimi luvs her and miss her a lot
DeleteThe last part was for my moms wanna be friend that complains about her working!
ReplyDeleteMy heart goes out to all of Pauline's friends and family. There's no doubt she was a beautiful girl who was taken too young and I'm sorry for their loss. I'm sure there is no punishment harsh enough that will ever be satisfactory to her loved ones, which is completely understandable.
ReplyDeleteAt the same time, my heart also goes out to Yani's loved ones, mainly her daughters. Some may disagree, but Yani, although consequences different, was also a victim that night. Prior to this, Yani, has never had a DUI or even been in trouble with the law, this due to her being a woman who has a designated driver,taxi, or other arrangements made whenever drinking. Unfortunately, on this one night, she had no way of knowing that some mother f*#$@ creep, had put something in her drink. While he goes unpunished and free to continue spiking drinks and ruining other females lives, the loved ones of both Yanira and Pauline battle back and forth as though it will change the past. It wont. For those who think Yani got off easy, keep in mind that day in and day out, NOT ONE DAY will pass without her feeling remorse for the events of that night. She will have that guilt and remorse with her for the rest of her life. Her 2 daughters don't get to have their mother around as they grow up,and be involved in their daily life.
No doubt many lives were altered or shattered but holding onto harsh feelings, isnt the answer. Try spending a day in the others' shoes. Until you're in that persons shoes, you have no way of knowing what it's like. As someone previously stated, NO ONE IS PERFECT and who the fuck are we to judge?
If the guy spiked her drinks then that is despicable. However, given that she had multiple drinks I find it hard to believe that the drug alone inebriated her. My condolences to both sides but if you make bad choices then you do have to pay the consequences
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