Leonardo Rodriguez, a resident of Pico Rivera, received a sentence of five years and four months in state prison. He was the driver in a fatal crash in 2024 that occurred on U.S. 101 in Newbury Park, resulting in the deaths of two individuals.
According to the Ventura County District Attorney’s office, Rodriguez, aged 21, drove a black Honda Accord southbound on U.S. 101 near Thousand Oaks early on October 31, 2024. Attempting to pass a vehicle in the slow lane by using the shoulder, he reached a speed of 124 mph before colliding with a parked tractor-trailer.
The crash ejected his girlfriend, Serenity Rizkalla, and his friend, Michael Estrella, from the vehicle. Both died at the scene. Rodriguez and another passenger sustained minor injuries.
Deputy District Attorney George Brietigam commented, “This tragedy was preventable, and the victims’ families will forever live with the consequences. We hope today’s sentence provides their loved ones with some measure of closure.”
In June, Rodriguez pled guilty to two counts of gross vehicular manslaughter.