Former LAPD Officer Sentenced to 15 Years to Life for Murder of Couple and Their Son, 19, in a 2017 Drunk Driving Crash By Charna Flam

The former Los Angeles police officer who previously pleaded guilty to murder was sentenced to a 15-year-to-life sentence, the L.A. District Attorney’s Office announced on Friday, July 18.

Edgar Verduzco, now 34, was off-duty when he killed Mario Davila, 60, his wife Maribel Davila, 52, and their 19-year-old son, Oscar, in a drunk driving crash in 2017.

Over seven years later, on Friday, April 11, Verduzco pleaded guilty to three counts of murder, one count of driving under the influence of alcohol causing injury, and one count of driving with a .08% blood alcohol content causing injury.

On Friday, July 18, Verduzco was sentenced to two concurrent terms of 15 years to life in prison as well as one concurrent term of three years in prison for driving under the influence of alcohol, causing injury.

Related Stories

Ex-LAPD Officer Pleads Guilty to in DUI Crash That Killed 3 Family Members

Drunk Driver, 67, Who Crashed SUV into Children’s Party, Killing 2 Siblings, Sentenced to 25 to 50 Years in Prison

On Sept. 26, 2017, Verduzco was driving 150 miles per hour on the 605 Freeway while under the influence of alcohol when he struck two vehicles. One of the cars struck by Verduzco crashed into a freeway’s center divider and burst into flames, killing the Davila family. 

The other vehicle was occupied by a mother and her baby, both of whom suffered minor injuries, according to the district attorney’s office.

Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE’s free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. 

“Mr. Verduzco knew the risks of driving under the influence, but his decision was fueled by recklessness and careless disregard for others,” L.A. District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman said in the Friday news release. “The law applies equally to all – especially to those who are supposed to enforce it.”

“This is another reminder that driving after consuming alcohol is not a mistake – it is a choice – that can have devastating consequences,” Hochman’s statement continued. “And for the Davila family, that one choice has left their loved ones with a profound grief from which they will never recover.”

“Oscar Davila, a beloved student at UC Riverside, was just 19 years old, and his life and his parents’ lives were senselessly taken in an instant. My support and sympathy go out to the Davila family’s loved ones, including Oscar’s four surviving siblings,” Hochman said in April after Verduzco pleaded guilty.