A Florida man was sentenced Wednesday to nine years in prison for a vehicle crash that killed a 31-year-old pedestrian in Passaic County six years ago.
A jury found Alvin Mootoo, 53, of Orlando, guilty on May 19 in the death of Jorge Alberto Pena Mesa, 31, of Newark.
The fatal crash occurred about 9:30 p.m. on Jan. 2, 2019.
Mootoo was convicted of second-degree reckless vehicular homicide and assault by auto as a disorderly person’s offense.
His attorney, Jeffrey G. Garrigan, of Secaucus, said his client was acquitted of more serious first-degree charges, including aggravated manslaughter.
The jury also rejected the prosecution claim that Mootoo was impaired at the time of the crash, Garrigan said.
Authorities said Mootoo ran a stop sign at the intersection of 18th Avenue and East 24th Street, hit a car and then struck a parked car.
Pena Mesa was standing outside the parked car talking to the driver when he was was struck.
He was taken to St. Joseph’s Regional Medical Center in Paterson, where he was pronounced dead.
The drivers of the two other cars were hospitalized with minor injuries.
Superior Court Judge Marilyn C. Clark sentenced Mootoo to nine years in state prison on the vehicular homicide charge.
Mootoo was also sentenced to a concurrent term of 180 days on the assault by auto charge.
Mootoo will have to serve 85% of his sentence before becoming eligible for parole, according to Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia M. Valdes.
The judge also sentenced Mootoo to three years of parole supervision and is requiring him to pay $5,100 in restitution.
Garrigan called the sentence “harsh,” and said his client suffers from a medical condition that was misdiagnosed. The attorney did not elaborate on the condition.
“We believe in light of the acquittals and under the unique circumstances of this case that the judge’s sentence was exceedingly harsh for a 53-year-old man with no prior record,” Garrigan said.
Garrigan said his client is planning an appeal.
Anthony G. Attrino may be reached at [email protected].
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