Man involved in Pacific Beach hit-and-run sentenced to 15 years in prison

SAN DIEGO (KUSI) — The driver who admitted intentionally running down 3-people in Pacific Beach last summer learned his fate Wednesday.

24-year-old Omar Gutierrez will spend 15 years in prison. He pleaded guilty to attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon back in February. 

Police say last August, Gutierrez and group of people got into a fight outside a Pacific Beach bar.  After the fight, Gutierrez and his girlfriend went back to her car and pulled over in the 900 block of Garnet Avenue, waiting for the people who were involved in the fight to cross the street. 

Prosecutors say Gutierrez then ran over two people, seriously injuring them and leaving a third person with a broken nose and road rash.

One of the two people seriously injured was San Diego Chargers intern, J’ron Erby. Erby was in the intensive care unit in a coma for over a month. he had severe brain trauma, a fractured skull, possible hearing damage and extensive bruising from being dragged across the pavement. "I was an all conference cornerback in 2015, I was pretty good, judge. I’ve had private tryouts for the Raiders as well as the 49ers." Said Erby. "Due to my brain trauma, I’ll never be able to put on a football helmet again. I can’t even go swimming because skull fractures and infections in my ear will worsen if exposed to water. I’ll never be able to take my future children to an amusement or water park and go on roller coasters with them, I love roller coasters. the list goes on, but I’m sure you get the picture. My life has been forever changed."

Gutierrez’s girlfriend, 24-year-old Jamillah Jones, was sentenced to 180 days in custody and placed on five years probation. She pleaded guilty to being an accessory to a crime for helping Gutierrez cover up what happened.

Judge Timothy Walsh took the unusual step of telling Erby he was a special person.

“You’re an inspiring guy, my friend,” the judge said. “You have a bright future somewhere.”

Gutierrez apologized for his actions and said he pleaded guilty at an early stage of the proceedings because he didn’t want to cause any more suffering for the victims.