Camp Pendleton Marine sentenced in DUI crash that killed 12-year-old

VISTA, Calif. (FOX 5/KUSI) — A Vista judge sentenced a U.S. Marine to 13 years and 8 months behind bars on Wednesday as part of a plea deal for his role in a DUI crash that killed a 12-year-old and injured two others.

Edward Minot Jr. had previously pleaded guilty to charges in connection the fatal crash, which occurred last year on July 4th.

According to police, officers had attempted to pull over the Marine, who was 20 years old at the time and stationed at Camp Pendleton, around 11 p.m. for driving under the influence and operating a vehicle at night without headlights. However, he did not yield, instead speeding off.

He then hit a vehicle, killing one of the passengers, 12-year-old Santiago Gaspar. The other passengers, a 27-year-old and a 6-year-old, also suffered non-life-threatening injuries in the collision. Family members said they were on their way home after watching fireworks.

The judge said Minot, a North Carolina native, had a history of alcohol-related offenses when he was in the Marines. “These cases happen all to frequently and the worst part of it is they are entirely preventable,” the judge added.

Santiago’s mother gave a victim impact statement to the judge ahead of Minot’s sentencing Wednesday. Through tears she said, “I will never see my child again….there is a very empty space in my heart — along with his brothers’ — and it will never be replaced.”

Santiago’s mother described her son as a giving person who enjoyed going to church, as well as playing soccer and basketball. He said he wanted to be a police officer when he grew up.

“The family is devastated,” the deputy district attorney prosecuting the case said after the sentencing. “They will never be the same, but hopefully this hearing here can bring them a little bit of closure.”

“My client would like to express his deepest sympathies to the family,” Minot’s attorney said in court.

Camp Pendleton officials could not be reached for comment on Wednesday. Santiago’s family declined to talk with FOX 5/KUSI after the sentencing.

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