San Jose Mercury News – by Stephen Baxter
SANTA CRUZ — A 32-year-old Soquel man who deliberately struck and killed a woman with his SUV near the Fishhook in 2011 was sentenced on Thursday to life in a state mental hospital.
The crash on July 11, 2011 killed Ana Luz Barajas, a Santa Cruz mother of four and a medical technician. She was on her way home from work.
A jury in 2015 found Eric Rsel Weers guilty of murder. Weers pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity. A jury found that he was not sane at the time of the crash.
Weers has been diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder, which can cause hallucinations, depression and manic periods of high energy. Mental health professionals who testified in the seven-week trial said Weers was off his medications during the crash.
Thursday, Santa Cruz County Superior Judge Timothy Volkmann said he handed Weers the maximum sentence based in part on medical and psychiatric records, Weers’ criminal history and a report from County Probation.
“The potential of Mr. Weers being released is nil from my perspective,” Volkmann said in court.
Four mental health providers testified during the trial that Weers has several serious mental health disorders, Volkmann said. All four also said his illnesses are getting worse.
“He’s not getting better,” said Volkmann.
Thursday in court, members of Barajas’ family offered tearful tributes to the woman who they said loved to host family gatherings, loved to cook and always had time for her nieces and nephews.
“People turned to her for advice,” Alejandra Barajas said of her aunt, Ana Barajas.
“My aunt was one of the strongest women I know. She raised three daughters and one son as a single mother,” she said. “With one senseless act, Eric Weers ripped our lives apart. We fear what he is capable of.”
Roxana Maldonado, Barajas’ youngest daughter, also said Weers should be held accountable.
“For the rest of my life I will mourn the loss of my mother,” Maldonado said. “She will not be there to say ‘I love you’ back. No one deserves to go through what we have gone through.”
Other family members said Weers lacked remorse. Weers did not speak during the sentencing hearing. He was stoic when Volkmann read his sentence.
One of his attorneys, Nancy De La Pena, said in court that Barajas “is obviously well loved” and has an “extraordinary” family.
“She will always be carried in our hearts,” De La Pena said.
(c)2016 the Santa Cruz Sentinel (Scotts Valley, Calif.) Visit the Santa Cruz Sentinel (Scotts Valley, Calif.) atwww.santacruzsentinel.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. AMX-2016-03-04T05:16:00-05:00
http://www.mercurynews.com/crime-courts/ci_29595831/santa-cruz-wrong-way-driver-sentenced-life-state
This is what the Eric Rsel Weers hit:
“Ana Barajas passed away unexpectedly on July 11, 2011 in Santa Cruz. She was only 48 years old. Ana was born on July 23, 1962, in San Bernardo, Purisima del Rincon, Guanajuato, Mexico, to Librado and Juana Barajas. Ana came to Santa Cruz in 1982, and has been a resident ever since.”
Thanks, Eric!
No loss of life there.