Santa Maria man pleads guilty to murder of two woman, injuring two others while driving under the influence in 2019
SANTA BARBARA COUNTY, Calif. – The Santa Maria man accused of killing two women and causing great injury to two others while driving under the influence in Santa Maria in 2019 has pleaded guilty to the charges, the Santa Barbara County District Attorney's Office announced on Wednesday.
Javier Artemio Cortes, pleaded guilty to the murder of Madison Coleman and Monica Gonzalez as well as driving under the influence causing great bodily injury to Makayla Everhart and Kimberly Olivo in March 2019.
Cortes drank alcohol at a party on March 15, 2019, and decided to drive home under the influence, according to Deputy District Attorney Madison Whitmore.
"By all appearances, he had too much to drink, and in spite of being offered a place to stay for the night; he decided to drive home under the influence of alcohol," Whitmore said.
Cortes made it safely home that night but then decided to leave his home while still under the influence. He drove down Donovan Street in Santa Maria at over 100 miles per hour, according to Whitmore.
Then, around 3 a.m. on March 16, Cortes ran a red light at the intersection of Donovan and Miller Streets at over 100 miles per hour. Coleman was driving a Jeep Cherokee with the other three women inside and proceeded slowly into the intersection during a green light.
Cortes smashed into her car while speeding through the intersection, according to Whitmore. Despite wearing seatbelts, Gonzalez and Olivo were ejected from the scene. Gonzalez, who was 20 at the time, died at the scene and Coleman, who was 17 at the time, was transported to Marian Regional Medical Center where she died from her injuries.
Olivo, who was 18, was transported to Cottage Hospital, where she survived but had to undergo "extensive surgeries over a significant period of time," Whitmore said. Everhart, who was 20, was transported to Marian for "great bodily injuries," but survived.
Cortes will be sentenced on Nov. 16 and faces 21 years to life in state prison.
