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SANTA ANA, Calif. – Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer released the following statement:
Oscar Eduardo Ortega-Anguiano, a convicted felon who was twice previously deported is being released after serving just a fraction of his sentence for killing two 19-year-olds, Anya Varfolomeev and Nicholay Osokin in an Orange County DUI crash in November of 2021, because California Governor Gavin Newsom and the State Legislature refuse to hold criminals accountable.
This was not a plea deal. This was a defendant who pled to the Court and was sentenced by a judge under California law, over the objection of Orange County prosecutors, who unsuccessfully argued for the maximum sentence.
Years of California’s crusade to put the rights of criminals over the rights of victims has resulted in the unimaginable pain inflicted on the grief-stricken parents of 19-year-old Anya Varfolomeev and 19-year-old Nicholay Osokin who had to be told that the man who killed their children while driving drunk and high at more than 100 miles per hour is considered a “non-violent” offender under California law, is eligible for early release, and will serve less than 50 percent of his sentence.
Killing two human beings while drunk is anything but non-violent.
But in California, someone convicted of driving drunk and injuring someone would actually spend more time behind bars than a driver who kills while under the influence. A disgusting fact that the Orange County District Attorney’s Office has repeatedly tried to correct, lobbying for stronger laws to prevent DUI drivers from being eligible for additional credits to enable early release, and to increase punishment for DUI drivers who kill someone.
Instead of standing up for victims and preventing future victims, the state Legislature killed those bills. And on our roads people keep dying while their killers get nothing but a slap on the wrist.
California’s creative concoction of good time, education, and other credits has resulted in criminals being released quicker than ever before, fulfilling Governor Newsom’s plot to empty California’s prisons and put dangerous and violent felons back on the street.
This is not a failure by the Orange County District Attorney’s Office. It is another stab to the heart of victims across California by Governor Newsom and a state Legislature who are hell-bent on releasing as many criminals as possible without any accountability and without any punishment.
And Californians are paying the price.
Editor’s Note: The U.S. Department of Justice said Wednesday it would file a felony immigration charge against Ortega-Anguiano. If convicted on the federal charge, he faces up to 20 additional years in prison.
Ortega-Anguiano, a Mexican national was driving drunk on the 405 freeway in November 2021 when he slammed into the car carrying Varfolomeev and Osokin at around 100 mph. The car burst into flames, and the teens, who were in a relationship, were burned alive, according to Newsweek.
The following spring, Ortega-Anguiano was convicted of two counts of gross vehicular manslaughter and handed two 10-year sentences to run concurrently. He already had a series of other offenses on his rap sheet, including driving without a license.
A Fox report on his potential release sparked outrage from the victims’ families, as well as Trump administration officials. The CDCR’s public records only show a parole eligibility date of July 2025, with no actual release date listed.
Senate Leader Jones Condemns Early Release of Twice-Deported Felon Who Killed Two OC Teens
In response to news that Oscar Eduardo Ortega-Anguiano — a twice-deported illegal immigrant with a violent criminal history — will be released from prison after serving just 3.5 years of a 10-year sentence for killing two Orange County teenagers in a 2021 DUI crash, Senate Minority Leader Brian W. Jones (R-San Diego) issued the following statement:
“Absolutely heartbreaking,” said Leader Jones. “The deaths of Anya Varfolomeev and Nikolay Osokin were entirely preventable. California’s sanctuary state policies and soft-on-crime approach are to blame.
“Now the Newsom Administration is compounding that tragedy by releasing their killer — a twice-deported illegal immigrant with a violent record — after serving just 3.5 years of a 10-year sentence. What message does that send? That in California, justice is optional and innocent lives are expendable.
“Even worse, because of our sanctuary laws, there is no guarantee this violent offender will be handed over to ICE. He could end up right back in our communities, as he has before, putting more lives at risk. UNACCEPTABLE!
“That’s why I introduced Senate Bill 554. It requires law enforcement to cooperate with federal immigration authorities when it comes to convicted, violent illegal immigrants like Ortega-Anguiano. Safety must come before sanctuary.
“SB 554 will be heard in the Senate Public Safety Committee next Tuesday. I urge my colleagues to take a hard look at what happened to these two young people, and ask themselves how many more lives will be lost before we fix these dangerous policies,” concluded Leader Jones.
While federal immigration authorities have put out a detainer for Ortega-Anguiano upon his release, California’s sanctuary state laws have raised questions on whether the detainer request will be fulfilled.
Leader Jones’s SB 554 would require law enforcement agencies to cooperate with immigration officials in cases involving violent offenders who are in the country illegally. The bill is scheduled to be heard in the Senate Public Safety Committee next Tuesday, April 29th. Click here for the bill’s fact sheet.
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