News Flash

Commonwealth's Attorney News Releases

Posted on: December 20, 2022

Commonwealth v. Juan F. Ramirez-Urrea Sentencing

NORFOLK, Va. – Juan Franklin Ramirez-Urrea, 20, was sentenced Friday to seven active years in prison for driving drunk and fatally striking 23-year-old Dontae Barlow, who was changing a tire on the shoulder of Interstate 64.

In the early morning hours of Feb. 27, Mr. Ramirez-Urrea was traveling westbound on I-64 when he veered onto the right shoulder and struck Mr. Barlow. Mr. Barlow had pulled over near the Norview Avenue exit and was rolling a tire down the shoulder in the opposite direction of traffic. Mr. Ramirez-Urrea — whose blood-alcohol concentration was .20, over twice the legal limit — drifted onto the shoulder, ran over Mr. Barlow, overcorrected left, and crashed into the left jersey wall. Witnesses who had been driving behind Mr. Ramirez-Urrea pulled over to assist both him and Mr. Barlow, but Mr. Barlow was pronounced dead upon the arrival of paramedics.

Mr. Ramirez-Urrea told officers he had been drinking in Virginia Beach before getting behind the wheel.

On Oct. 17, Mr. Ramirez-Urrea pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter from driving under the influence, as well as DUI.

On Friday, Judge Mary Jane Hall sentenced Mr. Ramirez-Urrea to serve seven active years in prison. The details of Mr. Ramirez-Urrea’s sentence include 10 years in prison, with three years suspended, for manslaughter, and one year suspended for DUI. Mr. Ramirez-Urrea’s suspended sentences are conditioned upon two years of supervised probation and five years of uniform good behavior upon his release from prison. His license has also been suspended indefinitely.

"Drunk drivers kill people and put themselves in prison," said Commonwealth’s Attorney Ramin Fatehi. "Drunk driving is a crime, and it is totally preventable. Do not drink and drive. Protect the people around you. Drink responsibly. Use designated drivers, taxis, and ride shares. Do not kill someone over a night out. You cannot undo these crimes, and the people who pay the heaviest price are the people you kill."

Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Melinda F. Seemar prosecuted Mr. Ramirez-Urrea’s case on behalf of the Commonwealth.

###

Facebook Twitter Email

Other News in Commonwealth's Attorney News Releases

Commonwealth vs. Marco Hicks

Posted on: December 5, 2023

Commonwealth v. Dustin J. Wilder

Posted on: December 1, 2023

Commonwealth v. Keith M. Todd

Posted on: November 28, 2023

Commonwealth v. Ricky J. Johnson

Posted on: November 20, 2023

Commonwealth v. Ziontay B. R. Palmer

Posted on: November 17, 2023

Commonwealth v. Donte L. Smith

Posted on: November 9, 2023

Commonwealth v. Brian L. Spears

Posted on: November 8, 2023

Commonwealth v. Jordan M. Richardson

Posted on: November 1, 2023

Commonwealth v. Laquisha S. Nock

Posted on: October 31, 2023

Commonwealth v. Jon’mir A. Lawton

Posted on: October 31, 2023

Commonwealth v. Joseph A. Martin

Posted on: October 30, 2023

Commonwealth v. Lamont S. Smallwood

Posted on: October 27, 2023

Commonwealth v. Malcolm J. Jorden

Posted on: October 25, 2023

Commonwealth v. Quentin L. James

Posted on: October 19, 2023

Commonwealth v. Kenneth C. Todd Jr.

Posted on: October 18, 2023

Commonwealth v. Rashad D. Dooley

Posted on: October 17, 2023

Commonwealth v. Gary Morton

Posted on: October 12, 2023

Commonwealth v. Da'quan K. Cherry

Posted on: October 5, 2023

Commonwealth v. Diandre W. Moss

Posted on: September 29, 2023

Commonwealth v. Lacal J. Richardson

Posted on: September 25, 2023

Commonwealth v. Elizabeth K. Sullivan

Posted on: September 25, 2023

Commonwealth v. Travarish D. Carpenter

Posted on: September 20, 2023

Commonwealth v. Steven L. Starrette

Posted on: September 15, 2023

Commonwealth v. Xavier E. Hudspeth

Posted on: September 15, 2023

Commonwealth v. Michael A. Faulkner

Posted on: September 13, 2023

Commonwealth v. Anthony C. Hunter

Posted on: September 11, 2023

Commonwealth v. Michael N. E. Ebong

Posted on: August 30, 2023

Commonwealth v. Letty M. Lopez

Posted on: August 24, 2023

Commonwealth v. Lataevion N. Matthews

Posted on: August 22, 2023

Commonwealth v. Jonathan M. Brownell

Posted on: August 21, 2023

Commonwealth v. Damian Berggren

Posted on: August 18, 2023

Commonwealth v. Marion T. Strong

Posted on: August 17, 2023

Commonwealth v. Jamir Wallace

Posted on: August 16, 2023

Commonwealth v. Daekwon C. Hargraves

Posted on: September 15, 2023

Commonwealth v. De'Shawn T. Johnson

Posted on: August 11, 2023

Commonwealth v. Curtis E. Copeland Jr.

Posted on: August 11, 2023

Commonwealth v. Keshawn Hunt

Posted on: August 11, 2023

Commonwealth v. Antonio L. Williams

Posted on: August 10, 2023

Commonwealth v. Tremel M. Denis

Posted on: August 4, 2023

Commonwealth v. Jeffrey Moreno

Posted on: August 4, 2023

Commonwealth v. Isaiah M. Hopkins

Posted on: August 4, 2023

Commonwealth v. Gary Morton

Posted on: July 25, 2023

Commonwealth v. Sean P. Knight

Posted on: July 21, 2023

Commonwealth v. Jamar D. Bolding

Posted on: July 20, 2023

Commonwealth v. Roger L. Hess Jr.

Posted on: July 20, 2023

Commonwealth v. Aaron Phillips

Posted on: July 20, 2023

Commonwealth v. Jermaine Dodd

Posted on: July 14, 2023

Commonwealth v. Tyron A. Whitaker

Posted on: July 14, 2023

Commonwealth v. Fentroy Spevey

Posted on: July 14, 2023

Commonwealth v. Kenyatta F. Jones

Posted on: July 14, 2023

Commonwealth v. Kelvin D. Mapp

Posted on: July 10, 2023

Commonwealth v. Jearl R. Lewis Jr.

Posted on: July 7, 2023

Commonwealth v. Tevin D. Locker

Posted on: June 23, 2023

Commonwealth v. Shelby R. Love

Posted on: June 23, 2023

Commonwealth v. Rayvone D. Foster

Posted on: June 16, 2023

Commonwealth v. Andre L. Lewis Sr.

Posted on: June 16, 2023

Commonwealth v. Howard G. Harris

Posted on: June 6, 2023

Commonwealth v. Lachlan Mullins

Posted on: October 6, 2023

Commonwealth v. John T. Hardee

Posted on: May 26, 2023

Commonwealth v. Damian Berggren

Posted on: May 24, 2023

Commonwealth v. Tarsha L. Williams

Posted on: May 19, 2023

Commonwealth v. Albert L. Waiters

Posted on: May 12, 2023

Commonwealth v. Breon R. Davis

Posted on: October 27, 2023

Commonwealth v. Jonathan M. Brownell

Posted on: April 26, 2023

Commonwealth v. Zhari Vaughan

Posted on: April 20, 2023

Commonwealth v. Gary D. Toone Jr.

Posted on: March 24, 2023

Commonwealth v. Jessica A. Cherry

Posted on: March 17, 2023

Commonwealth v. Rashad D. Dooley

Posted on: March 17, 2023

Commonwealth v. Lamont S. Smallwood

Posted on: March 16, 2023

Commonwealth v. Dearon E. Mosley

Posted on: February 10, 2023

Commonwealth v. Rashad D. Dooley

Posted on: February 10, 2023

Commonwealth v. Larry L. Taylor Jr.

Posted on: February 9, 2023

Commonwealth v. Michael D. Tinsley

Posted on: February 2, 2023

Commonwealth v. George A. Boyd Sentencing

Posted on: December 20, 2022