DA: Man sentenced for murder of Fresno girl in DUI crash

FRESNO, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) – A man, who the Fresno County District Attorney’s Office said had a prior DUI conviction, was charged on Thursday for the murder of a 17-year-old girl in a DUI crash in Fresno.

The DA says 28-year-old Michael Anthony Mendoza of Fresno was sentenced to 15 years to life in state prison for murder and gross vehicle manslaughter while intoxicated.

On March 18, 2022, at around 8:40 p.m., the DA’s office says Mendoza was driving a Chevy Tahoe northbound on Marks Avenue when he ran a stop sign at Jensen Avenue and collided at full speed with a GMC Yukon. The Yukon, driven by 17-year-old Sarahi Ramirez-Rodriguez, had the right of way.

Rodriguez sustained fatal injuries. She was pronounced deceased at a local hospital later that evening.

Officers with the California Highway Patrol report responding to the scene and observing signs of intoxication on Mendoza. Witnesses also reported Mendoza was driving erratically and at high speeds before the crash.

According to officers, toxicology tests revealed Mendoza had marijuana in his system and a blood alcohol concentration of .19%, which is more than twice the legal limit.

The DA’s office says Mendoza was on probation for a 2019 DUI conviction at the time of the crash, and he was prohibited from driving with any measurable amount of alcohol in his system. He had also been warned that if he killed someone while impaired, he could be charged with murder.