A 47-year-old man in Texas will likely spend decades behind bars for killing four family members who were driving in a golf cart when he drunkenly rammed them with his SUV in 2022. Miguel A. Espinoza on Tuesday formally pleaded guilty to four counts of intoxication manslaughter and one count of intoxication assault, court records reviewed by Law&Crime show.
Espinoza had initially pleaded not guilty to all of the charges against him and was scheduled to begin his trial Tuesday morning in Texas’ 10th District Court. However, with the jury already selected and attorneys prepared to make their opening statements, the Rosenberg, Texas, native abruptly decided to reverse course and plead guilty to all counts, The Galveston Daily News reported .
According to the report, Espinoza at about 11:35 p.m. on Aug. 6, 2022, was drunk and driving his black Hyundai SUV well over the speed limit when he ran a stop sign at the intersection of 33rd Street and Avenue R, which is about 50 miles southeast of Houston. Espinoza’s SUV reportedly struck a Dodge pickup truck which then collided with a golf cart containing six passengers: two grandparents, three of their grandchildren, and their niece…