A 28-year-old Jerome County man was sentenced Monday to 12 years in prison for a Fourth of July crash on U.S. Highway 93 that killed two people, including an infant.
Jonathan Villagomez received the sentence in Jerome County District Court after pleading guilty in March to one count of vehicular manslaughter. The sentence carries a fixed term of five years followed by seven indeterminate years, with credit applied for time already served.
Crash Killed Two, Including an Infant
The fatal collision occurred on July 4 of last year when Villagomez, driving southbound on Highway 93, allowed his SUV to drift into oncoming traffic and strike another vehicle head-on. Two occupants of the other vehicle died as a result — one of them an infant.
The crash drew immediate law enforcement response, and Villagomez faced a range of charges in the aftermath. Under the terms of the March plea agreement, prosecutors agreed to dismiss a second vehicular manslaughter count along with separate charges of DUI, drug possession, open container, and resisting officers. Villagomez entered his guilty plea on the single manslaughter count.
Judge Cites Deterrence in Sentencing Decision
Jerome County District Court Judge Rosemary Emory emphasized the broader public safety message she intended to send with the prison term. “Part of that deterrence is providing a significant enough sentence that will hopefully deter others from committing such conduct,” Emory said during the sentencing proceedings.
The 12-year sentence reflects the gravity of a crash that ended two lives on a holiday weekend along one of Magic Valley’s most heavily traveled corridors. Highway 93 serves as a primary north-south artery through Jerome County, connecting Twin Falls to points north including Shoshone and the Wood River Valley.
What Comes Next
Villagomez will begin serving his sentence with credit for the time he has already spent in custody since the crash and subsequent arrest. Under Idaho’s indeterminate sentencing structure, the Idaho Commission of Pardons and Parole will ultimately determine when, within the seven-year indeterminate portion, Villagomez becomes eligible for release — provided he first completes the mandatory five-year fixed term. His conduct and any programming completed while incarcerated will factor into that determination. The families of the two victims now face the longer road of rebuilding after a loss that occurred on what is typically a day of celebration across Twin Falls County and the broader Magic Valley region.
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