A 33-year-old man was sentenced Friday to 20 years to life in prison for a drunken driving crash that killed a man standing by his disabled car on a freeway in Irvine.
Rene Avila Montesdeoca pleaded guilty Oct. 9 to second-degree murder in the March 18, 2018 crash that killed 36-year-old Eli Eipper. The victim died on April 7, 2018.
The victim’s father, Kirk Eipper, said he was a survivor of one of the towers razed by terrorists Sept. 11, 2001 in New York City and that the heartbreak from losing his son has worsened his post-traumatic stress disorder.
The father’s victim impact statement was read aloud in court by Deputy District Attorney Brian Orue.
“Eli was an incredible man in his prime,” Kirk Eipper said in his statement.
To the defendant, he said, “You are a serial drunk driver with zero impulse control. You robbed me of my child, you robbed me of ever being a grandfather. … You are a menace to society.”
Eli Eipper’s friend, George Eubanks, recalled Eipper’s job interview with the bicycle company they worked at. Though Eipper was “fresh out of college” and seemingly unfamiliar with the cycling business, “There was something about Eli that really stuck with me,” Eubanks said.
Eipper was a quick study, he said.
“He was serious about our company and our customers,” Eubanks said. “He soaked up everything about the business.”
Eipper became a passionate bicyclist and the two talked about working together again shortly before he died, Eubanks said.
Eubanks also recalled how his two young daughters enjoyed visiting Eipper at their workplace.
“They loved him,” Eubanks said. “They were never too happy when I had to shoo them away so he could get some work done.”
Eipper’s aunt, Julie Swain, said her nephew was “an amazing and extraordinary young man. … He loved life and was quick to flash his beautiful smile and twinkle in his eyes. … We are forever heartbroken and miss him every day.”
Montesdeoca declined to make a statement at the hearing.
Orange County Superior Court Judge Sheila Hanson told the defendant, “I don’t know if you’ll ever be able to understand how your actions affected Eli Eipper’s family. Your actions were so lawless and irresponsible. You took Eli’s l ife and robbed his family of all their tomorrows with him.”
Hanson sentenced Montesdeoca to 15 to life for second-degree murder and tacked on five years for a prior strike conviction.
The collision occurred about 1 a.m. on the 5 Freeway near the Culver Drive exit, Orue said in court papers.
Eipper was driving a Subaru Legacy that ran out of gas, so he pulled over to the shoulder, Orue said. His friend, Alexander Vargas, who was in the passenger seat, told police Eipper was standing in the open right front passenger door area talking to Vargas when they saw the Volkswagen the defendant was driving hurtling toward them.
The Volkswagen rammed into the rear of the Subaru as Vargas dodged the collision, but Eipper was struck, Orue said.
Vargas implored the defendant to call 911 but when he didn’t do it Vargas flagged down a motorist to call first responders, Orue said.
The defendant’s blood-alcohol level was measured at .17%, more than twice the legal limit, Orue said.
Montesdeoca pleaded guilty in 2019 to driving drunk, allowing prosecutors to upgrade the charges from voluntary manslaughter to second-degree murder.
Montesdeoca pleaded guilty in August 2013 to child abuse and endangerment with a sentencing enhancement for causing great bodily injury to a child younger than 5. Additional details about that case were not immediately available.
