LA County Sheriff’s Deputy Orlando Sotomayor Flores pleaded no contest in an off-duty hit-and-run crash on the 10 Freeway in Covina. 

October 11, 2024 – COVINA, CA – Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón announced on Thursday that Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Deputy Orlando Sotomayor Flores pleaded no contest on October 8 in case BA488122 to one felony count of reckless driving involving alcohol, causing injury; and one misdemeanor count of hit-and-run causing injury after he was involved in a hit-and-run crash on Interstate 10 in the city of Covina that injured one person in March 2018.

Sotomayor Flores is scheduled to be sentenced January 13, 2025, in Dept. 100 of the Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center Courthouse. He is expected to be sentenced to felony probation for two years, pay $5,000 in restitution to the victims, complete a three-month DUI program, relinquish his POST certifications, and accept a Watson advisement.

“Law enforcement is entrusted with the responsibility of protecting our communities and upholding the law, on- and off-duty. I want to express my empathy for the victims who suffered at the hands of Mr. Sotomayor Flores’ reckless actions,” said District Attorney Gascón.

On March 29, 2018, shortly before midnight, Sotomayor Flores was off-duty and driving at a high rate of speed on the eastbound 10 Freeway in the city of Covina when he collided with the rear end of another vehicle causing it to flip over and roll several times before hitting another car. A passenger in one of the vehicles sustained non-life-threatening injuries.

Sotomayor Flores left the scene and surrendered to law enforcement at approximately 4:00 a.m. on March 30, 2018. Investigators determined that the defendant may have consumed alcohol prior to the incident.

The case was prosecuted by LADA’s Justice System Integrity Division and investigated by the California Highway Patrol and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.

Source: Los Angeles County District Attorney