The blood-alcohol level of the man accused of killing a popular Eagle Ridge gatehouse supervisor in an early-morning traffic accident measured nearly three times the legal limit, a Santa Clara County district attorney revealed in court this morning.
Julian Navarro Murillo's blood-alcohol measured 0.22 percent following the crash, a preliminary toxicology report revealed.
Murillo appeared in court Friday handcuffed and dressed in a red jumpsuit. Eyes cast downward, he clutched his stomach and grimaced several times throughout the hearing.
Two relatives of Lourdes Sanchez, the victim who was driving to work on the morning of Sept. 16, were in court to witness what was supposed to be Murillo's plea hearing. Two of Murillo's relatives attended the hearing and sat quietly in the back of the courtroom.
The two were reluctant to speak about the defendant but said the accident was "a tragedy."
Deputy District Attorney Patricia Henley amended the charges of driving under the influence with a special allegation of inflicting great bodily injury and vehicular manslaughter to include a third charge alleging that he was driving while over the legal blood-alcohol limit of 0.08 percent.
"Not only was he driving under the influence, he was driving over the legal limit," Henley said.
Given that the crash occurred just 10 days ago, she doubted that the defendant would enter a plea during the scheduled hearing. A packed courtroom slowly cleared while Commissioner Gregory Saldivar heard every case he could before Murillo's, waiting two hours for the private defense attorney, Ruben Munoz, to arrive. Saldivar called for a short recess and reconvened for Murillo's brief hearing. Only Murillo's two relatives and Sanchez's two nieces remained in the courtroom. The plea hearing was postponed to 9 a.m. Oct. 24 in Department 90 at the South County Courthouse in San Martin.
His bail has been set at $75,000. He is currently in police custody.
Murillo drove home early the morning of Sept. 16 after a sleepless night with a blood-alcohol level well above the legal limit, according to a police report. Traveling north on Santa Teresa Boulevard, he attempted to make an unsafe left turn onto Day Road directly into the path of Lourdes Sanchez's oncoming Nissan Sentra. Sanchez was traveling southbound on Santa Teresa on her way to her job as a guard at Eagle Ridge. The two vehicles collided head on. Sanchez was pronounced dead at the scene and Murillo was arrested on suspicion of gross vehicular manslaughter and driving under the influence, both felonies.
In cases like Murillo's, the defendant could be charged with murder if previously convicted of a DUI. He, however, has no previous DUIs and after reviewing the case, Henley said she did not feel that would be an appropriate charge.
According to police reports, Murillo's story changed during the interview immediately following the accident. Initially, he told Gilroy police that he drank about five beers with dinner after leaving his job working in the stables at Day Road Ranch. Later, he said he drank six or seven beers on an empty stomach. After drinking that evening, he told police everything else was "a blur" and that he did not remember anything about the collision or driving while intoxicated. During the interview, he acknowledged that he "made a mistake to drive drunk" and became visibly upset and remorseful, police said.
Sanchez's nieces leaned against each other during the proceedings and remembered an aunt who was more than that, "almost like a second mom," said Haidee Hernandez. "If someone needed help, she was always there."
"She was always happy," said Lorena Hernandez.
Sanchez was a woman that loved to dance and taught karate lessons out of Morgan Hill, her nieces said.
"She was loved by all," Haidee Hernandez said.
Sanchez, 48, had five children and extended family in Watsonville, her nieces said. Her children, who range in age from 13 to 28, were not ready yet to accompany their cousins to court, the Hernandezes said.
The memorial colleagues erected to Sanchez outside the Eagle Ridge gatehouse still stands and donations are pouring in to help her family. A golf tournament will be held in her memory 12:30 p.m. Oct. 14, at the Eagle Ridge golf course, 2951 Club Drive. Of the $125 entrance fee, $100 will go into a trust fund for Sanchez's children. All players are welcome. Call 846-4531 for details.
Sara Suddes Sara Suddes is the education reporter for South Valley Newspapers. Send her an email or (408) 847-7158.
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