A Northern California man who was being chased by police when he struck and killed a pedestrian and his dog in Long Beach pleaded no contest Friday to second-degree murder and other charges.
Jyvante West, 30, of Richmond, was immediately sentenced to 19 years and four months to life in state prison following his plea to the murder charge along with one count each of animal cruelty, burglary, evading and gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated.
The murder charge stemmed from the May 26, 2020, death of Jose Hernandez, 32, of Long Beach.
Police said Hernandez was legally crossing Sixth Street at Magnolia Avenue with his dog when he was struck by a 2016 Mercedes-Benz GLE that was driven through a red light at a high rate of speed by West.
Hernandez and his dog were both pronounced dead at the scene.
The mid-size luxury SUV subsequently collided with a fence in the area of Sixth Street and Pine Avenue, where West was taken into custody, police said.
Long Beach Police Department Officer David Cabrera testified at a November 2021 hearing that West told him after the crash that he had used marijuana about 20 minutes before the chase.
The pursuit began after officers went to a business in the 2100 block of Gaylord Street following a call that people were cutting down marijuana plants inside the licensed cannabis-related business, and spotted the Mercedes-Benz SUV fleeing from the scene, police said
LBPD Officer Eric Sayabounthavong — the first officer to begin chasing the vehicle — testified at the 2021 hearing that he didn’t think the Mercedes-Benz was traveling at a reasonable speed.
“It was definitely driving past the speed limit,” Sayabounthavong testified.
The chase lasted about five minutes on streets, state Route 103 and the Long Beach (710) Freeway, according to police.
West — whose trial had been set to begin Monday — has remained jailed since his arrest the night of the crash.