A former security guard who killed a Santa Ana man on New Year’s Eve has been sentenced to 11 years in state prison after pleading guilty to voluntary manslaughter on Friday.
Prosecutors said Toetu Tesarina Lavea admitted she killed 46-year-old Manuel Ramos on Dec. 31, 2020. As part of the plea deal, Lavea received credit for 1,842 days already served behind bars. Police later found Ramos’ body inside a home in the 1800 block of West 18th Street in early January 2021.
Plea Deal and Sentence
According to MyNewsLA, Lavea pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter and received an 11-year prison term. In exchange, prosecutors agreed to dismiss a murder charge that had included a sentencing enhancement for the personal use of a deadly weapon, and the court credited her with 1,842 days already spent in custody toward that sentence.
How the Case Unfolded
Authorities say Lavea admitted to killing Ramos on Dec. 31, 2020. Officers were sent to a residence in the 1800 block of West 18th Street at 6:46 p.m. on Jan. 2, 2021, where they found Ramos’ body in the living room. The case first drew wider attention when Lavea, then working as a security guard, was arrested and held on 1 million dollars bail following the January 2021 investigation, according to New Santa Ana.
Legal Context
Under California law, voluntary manslaughter is defined as an unlawful killing without malice, typically charged when a death follows a sudden quarrel or happens in the heat of passion, according to Justia. The crime carries a determinate prison term of 3, 6, or 11 years under California Legislative Information, and it is listed as a “serious felony” that can count as a strike under the state’s sentencing rules, per the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation…