Driver sentenced to over 15 years in prison for deadly 2019 crash in Modesto
A Jamestown man was sentenced to more than 15 years in prison after pleading guilty to manslaughter and other charges in relation to a 2019 vehicle theft and deadly car crash in Modesto, according to a Friday release from the Stanislaus County District Attorney’s office.
Devin Matthew Long, 26, was convicted April 13 of voluntary manslaughter, vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated and vehicle theft in relation to the incident, according to the DA’s office.
On Dec. 17, 2019, Long stole a black Toyota Avalon from a home in Jamestown, and police spotted him driving the vehicle in Ceres the next day, according to the DA’s office.
Kendra Sanguinetti, 28, was riding in the front passenger seat.
Police attempted to pull Long over, but he sped away at over 100 mph and ran several red lights.
Long lost control of the car at the intersection of Oakdale Road and Scenic Drive and crashed into a tree. The car split in half on impact.
Sanguinetti was ejected from the vehicle and died at the scene, the DA’s office said.
Long ran and hid behind a nearby fast food restaurant until he was found and arrested several hours later, the DA’s office said. He was under the influence of methamphetamine and alcohol at the time of the crash.
The Bee reported in 2019 that Long referred to Sanguinetti as his wife on Facebook.
Ceres police also said at the time of the incident that Sanguinetti had several warrants out for her arrest, including one for a felony assault with a deadly weapon out of Sonora. Officers believe this may have contributed to Long’s choice to flee from police during the traffic stop.
During his hearing earlier this month, Long pleaded guilty to the charges against him and admitted an enhancement for fleeing a crime scene, the DA’s office said. Judge Thomas Zeff sentenced Long to 15 years and eight months in state prison.
A victim impact statement from Sanguinetti’s uncle read during the hearing said “seeing her smiling face will never happen again and that to me is a tragedy that could have so easily been avoided. It never had to happen.”
This story was originally published May 1, 2021 at 6:13 AM.
