Background: Photo of the aftermath of the crash in Bradenton, Fla., that killed Sara-Danielle Holmes on Nov. 2, 2024 (Bradenton Police Department). Inset (left): Sara-Danielle Holmes (GoFundMe). Inset (right): Cesar Navarrete (Bradenton Police Department).
A Florida man who pleaded guilty to driving drunk when he slammed into an SUV carrying a mother of two and her boyfriend will spend more than two decades in prison.
Cesar Navarrete, 27, entered guilty pleas to four charges, including DUI manslaughter and vehicular homicide in connection with a November 2024 car crash that killed 37-year-old Sara-Danielle Holmes. On Thursday, he was sentenced to 25 years in prison plus 10 years of supervised release. His driver”s license was also permanently revoked.
Holmes, a mother of two little girls, was the passenger of a Chevy Equinox that her boyfriend, Sergio Larcher de Brito, was driving on the night of Nov. 2, 2024. De Brito, Navarrete, and Navarrete’s passenger were all injured in the crash but survived, according to the Bradenton Police Department.
In a press release announcing the sentencing, the Bradenton Police Department said Navarrete was driving at a speed of 115 miles per hour and drunk when he ran a red light and hit the Equinox carrying Holmes and de Brito. The impact “[split] the vehicle in half,” police said. Holmes was rushed to a hospital, where she died of her injuries.
At the scene, police said Navarrete “displayed signs of impairment,” and an investigation determined that he had a blood alcohol content of 0.165. He had been previously convicted of DUI and was driving with a suspended license.
Local ABC affiliate WFTS spoke with Holmes’ mother following the crash, who told the station, “Get behind a 2,000-pound missile, a weapon, drive through traffic like that and take into consideration nobody around you.”
WFTS reported that Holmes had just finished her shift at work and was heading back home with de Brito. They were a block away from her home when they were hit.
Navarrete pleaded guilty to vehicular homicide, DUI manslaughter, driving under the influence, driving with a suspended license and causing serious bodily injury or death. In addition to his prison sentence, Navarrete was ordered to pay more than $40,000 in fines and restitution.
A GoFundMe page started by Holmes’ loved ones to raise money for her surviving daughters is still active.
