Harris County family relieved after deputy's killer was sentenced to 43 years in prison
HOUSTON - After nearly three years of grief and uncertainty, Lupita Gutierrez expressed a sense of relief when the verdict was read in the case of her late husband, Harris County Sgt. Ramon Gutierrez. The deputy was killed in a hit-and-run crash in January 2022 while escorting an oversized load on Beltway 8. On Thursday, jurors convicted Lavillia Spry of intoxication manslaughter, sentencing her to 43 years in prison.
"I feel a sense of relief. I wake up and I’m not scared. I wake up and figure ‘Okay I can function better’ knowing what’s ahead and not wondering what’s going to happen," Gutierrez said.
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Sgt. Gutierrez was helping direct traffic and wasn't on his motorcycle when Spry drove around emergency vehicles and hit him. She left the scene but was later arrested.
Sgt. Ramon Gutierrez (left); Lavillia Spry (right)
"It was extremely hard," Lupita Gutierrez recounted the ordeal, emphasizing the family's resilience. "The only thing we can do is lean on each other the way we always have because nothing was certain. We didn’t know what was going to happen and justice doesn’t prevail the way we always want it to."
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However, this time justice was served, and Alfredo Gutierrez, the son of the deputy, is urging everyone to think twice before drinking and driving.
"There’s so many things out there with technology that we have today. There’s Uber, there’s Lyft, friends. There’s so many different options, so if you’re going to go out, just plan ahead and be prepared. It can save lives and save your family from going through grief," Gutierrez said.
As the verdict was read, Spry apologized to the Gutierrez family, being remorseful, and stating that she saw Sgt. Gutierrez in her dreams and believes that he would have forgiven her. But for the Gutierrez family, the conviction brings closure and the hope that the message of responsibility resonates with others.
"Every time that you hear her voice it does something to you. Your heart starts to go fast. Just her demeanor, the way she carried herself. It’s very hard to watch that. He would have forgiven her, that’s just the type of person he is. We know that he would not want us to live our lives in hate," Gutierrez said.
Alfredo and Nomar Gutierrez launched an online personal training business, Muscles and Mindset, in honor of their father.
"We started our own business. An online personal training business. Where we’re heavily targeting officers. It’s going to be our way to give back to make sure our officers are healthy, and we can help them live longer and perform better at their jobs," Alfredo Gutierrez said.