DUBLIN — A 29-year-old man has been sentenced to 10 months in jail for killing Mitchell Katz, the proprietor of a Livermore vineyard in his namesake.
Emilio Chambers Cruz was sentenced June 24, after pleading no contest to a misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter cost. Courtroom information say on July 21, 2023, Chambers Cruz tried to illegally move Katz close to Mitra Avenue and East Avenue in Livermore, whereas driving about 20 miles quicker than the velocity restrict, however hit a middle divider and precipitated the collision.
Katz, who was not sporting a seatbelt, died at a hospital later that day, court docket information present. Chambers Cruz was later charged with a misdemeanor.
Earlier than the sentencing, prosecutors, and family members of each Chambers Cruz and Katz debated the defendant’s degree of regret. Katz widow wrote in a court docket submitting that whereas Chambers Cruz returned to a loving household that evening, “Mitch was sent to the morgue.”
Chambers Cruz’s important different argued for no jail time, describing Chambers Cruz because the “sole provider” for her and their 3-year-old son.
“This is critical time in our child’s development, and losing that constant presence of loving and involved father could cause emotional confusion, distress, and delay in developmental progress,” Marilin Reynoso Gomez wrote in a help letter.
Katz began the vineyard in 1998 partly as a memorial to his grandfather, an avid dwelling winemaker. The vineyard is understood for its cabernet sauvignon — particularly its flagship Fatboy Cabernet — in addition to sangiovese and chardonnay varietals. Katz had earned a number of notable awards through the years, together with a gold medal on the 2015 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competitors for his 2011 Petite Sirah and silver medals for his Wesley’s Mix and 2011 Sangiovese.
Prosecutors argued that Chambers Cruz confirmed no regret after the crash, pointing to Instagram posts the place Chambers Cruz — a rapper and musician — posted lyrics saying “they put me on trial imma smile” and referencing getting circumstances dropped. He additionally celebrated avoiding jail in February 2024, writing on a submit, “they ain’t saying ‘Free Mili’ today.”
However Chambers Cruz, Sterling-Gunner Montgomery, mentioned the accident has “weigh heavily” on him.
“He has spoken with sorrow, reflection, and compassion for the life that was lost. This moment has marked him deeply, and he is using it not as an excuse, but as turning point,” Montgomery wrote in a help letter. “A reason to be better, to go deeper, to lead stronger.”
The ten-month sentence began the identical day it was pronounced. Chambers Cruz remains to be at Santa Rita Jail in Dublin, with a Sept. 9 restitution listening to scheduled. Katz’s household estimates they spent no less than $83,000 in medical payments alone, court docket information present.
In the meantime, on the vineyard, Katz’s sons Jackson and Wesley are operating the present. Each submitted letters to the court docket describing the ache and loss they felt and frustration with the authorized course of, which spanned almost two years.
“His decision to run my Dad off the road was made in handful of seconds, but the pain it caused will last my entire lifetime, my brother’s life, and many other people as well,” Jackson Katz wrote. “We did not get to say goodbye to my Dad.”
Initially Printed: August 1, 2025 at 12:06 PM PDT
