Staff Reports

West Covina, CA – A 20-year-old man pleaded no contest Tuesday to driving under the influence in connection with a crash in West Covina that killed one of his passengers and injured another.

Andrew James Gomez of La Puente was immediately sentenced to 4 1/2 years in state prison following his plea to one felony count each of gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated and driving under the influence of a drug causing injury.

Gomez was under the influence of nitrous oxide when he crashed his car into a pole in the 1000 block of South Lark Ellen Avenue in the early morning hours of April 29, according to Sarah Ardalani of the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.

Jesse Jaco, 20, was pronounced dead at the scene, and a second passenger was injured.

Gomez was arrested that morning by West Covina police and has remained behind bars since then, according to jail records.