Pasco man sentenced to almost 3 years for vehicle police chase
A Pasco man who led police on a car chase through the Tri-Cities with his 4-year-old daughter in the back seat, pleaded with a judge to give him drug treatment because he does not "want to remain another statistic in the criminal justice system."
Thomas Marcelino Ramirez Garza said he must accept the consequences of his crime and isn't seeking a scapegoat, but needs just enough help to get him in the right direction.
"Your honor, I know I make mistakes, many of them, and I'm not perfect by far," he said in Benton County Superior Court. "I'd like to live a clean and sober life for my kids and my family. I feel it's an opportunity to get my back on track. I don't want to see myself out chasing my addictions anymore, or worse, wind up dead because of them."
But Judge Vic VanderSchoor -- noting Ramirez Garza's lengthy record and the facts of the most recent case -- wasn't swayed by the argument and ordered him to serve two years and 10 months in prison.
He said it wasn't appropriate to give Ramirez Garza time under the Special Drug Offender Sentencing Alternative which would have called for a shortened sentence of one year and nearly seven months and prison-based drug treatment. Ramirez Garza would have had the same amount of time on community supervision and, if he violated any conditions, would go back to prison to serve the rest of his sentence.
Defense attorney Catherine Harkins had pushed for the special sentence, saying when she first spoke to her 26-year-old client he had no recollection of what happened July 14 because he was on drugs.
She also said that Ramirez Garza previously has been ordered into treatment but has not followed through because he didn't realize it was needed. But now he's ready to make a change, Harkins told the court.
Richland police first tried to stop Ramirez Garza on suspicion that he had a warrant. As officers pulled in behind him, Ramirez Garza made an abrupt lane change, then signaled and immediately changed lanes again without waiting the required 100 feet, court documents said.
Once he stopped, Ramirez Garza sped away as an officer was walking up to the car, starting a lengthy chase that involved several law enforcement agencies, documents said.
Officers used spike strips near the blue bridge, but Ramirez Garza continued to drive even with flatten tires. The car traveled on its rims for several miles with sparks flying, causing a small brush fire, documents said.
At one point, Ramirez Garza reportedly threw a backpack with 7.3 grams of cocaine, marijuana and prescription pills out a passenger window. He then bailed out of his car in downtown Kennewick, and was seen carrying a child in his arms.
After he was arrested, Ramirez Garza said he knew he had a felony warrant for his arrest, court documents said. He also admitted that his daughter, who has special needs, was in the car.
Ramirez Garza pleaded guilty Aug. 29 to possession of cocaine and attempting to elude police with an allegation of endangerment by eluding.
Ramirez Garza told the judge he never realized the impact of his addiction on himself and his loved ones, and said his wonderful family has been an inspirational support to him.
He said he asked his family, including his grandparents and siblings, not to attend the hearing because it's already been tough on them.
"The last five years I've literally accomplished nothing, but I still have dreams of attending college and becoming a youth counselor," he said.
He said any help that's been offered in the past he took for granted and was naive to believe he could deal with his addictions on his own. He told the court he's been to prison twice and wasn't out long when he did this crime.
He has convictions for escape, assault, theft, gun possession, malicious mischief, possession of drugs and manufacturing or delivering drugs.
Kennewick man pleads innocent to indecent liberties
A Kennewick man who claims to do "weird things in his sleep" is charged with having inappropriate sexual contact with a teen girl.
Brandon Robert Gardner, 20, pleaded innocent to one count of indecent liberties. Trial is set for Nov. 4.
The victim contacted Kennewick police in January to report what allegedly happened to her in summer 2011.
A group of young people were sleeping on the floor in a Kennewick home when the girl woke to find Gardner had a hand down her pants, court documents said. He removed his hand when she rolled over, documents said.
The victim told two others about it the next day, and they confronted Gardner, who allegedly apologized to the girl and said he does weird things in his sleep.
Gardner admitted to Kennewick Detective Bill Dramis to sleeping next to the girl on the floor with a group of people, and said he had been told that two nights in a row the girl awoke to find him inappropriately touching her, court documents said.
Gardner said "he didn't really remember this happening because he was unconscious and asleep, but that he was 'pretty sure it did happen,'" documents said.
-- Kristin M. Kraemer: 582-1531; kkraemer@tricityherald.com; Twitter: @KristinMKraemer
This story was originally published September 22, 2013 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Pasco man sentenced to almost 3 years for vehicle police chase ."