Orange County Superior Court Judge Richard F. Toohey made a statement today in the severity of his sentencing of the murderer of Angels pitcher Nick Adenhart, student Courtney Stewart and Henry Pearson.

(And?)

24-year-old Andrew Thomas Gallo’s earliest possible parole date will be in 2050 following a 51 years-to-life sentence handed down to him by Judge Toohey.

Harsh? No.

Three months ago I noted testimony from Gallo’s stepbrother Raymond Rivera, who detailed the aftermath of a crash that left three innocents dead and another internally decapitated:

Rivera testified that he woke up in the passenger seat after the impact and turned to see his stepbrother unbuckling his seat belt.

Q. Did he say anything to you?

A. “…he said, “run bitch.”

Then there’s the strange statement Gallo made to Judge Toohey and the families of the victims today, in what apparently was an attempt for sentencing leniency.

(Families of Gallo’s victims today)

Read more…

Larry Welborn of the ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER reports that secret Orange County (CA) Grand Jury testimony that led to Andrew Thomas Gallo being charged with three counts of second-degree murder and several other serious felonies for his role in the April 8, 2009, death of Angels pitcher Nick Adenhart and two young adult passengers has been released.

The testimony comes from Gallo’s stepbrother Raymond Rivera, who claimed to the Grand Jury that he was the one responsible for Gallo driving drunk the night Adenhart was killed by the Gallo-driven vehicle in an intersection collision. (Gallo ran a red light.) Gallo, who was driving with a suspended license after a recent DUI conviction was later found to have an alcohol level over three times the legal limit on the night in question.

Rivera told the Grand Jury that he was to be Gallo’s designated driver the night of April 8, 2009, but, “when I ordered the shot, it kind of changed the way the night would unfold.”

Welborn reports that the night of drinking and driving began as Rivera and Gallo were “celebrating the arrival of a government relief check.”

More details from the previously unreleased Grand Jury documents:

• Rivera testified that the duo started drinking at about 4 p.m. on April 8, 2009 at Johnny Carino’s Italian restaurant and bar in West Covina, and continued to drink for about seven hours, consuming Newcastle, Amber Bock, Sam Adams and Arrogant Bastard beers, and at least one shot of 1800 Tequila. Read more…

We now know Nick Adenhart’s killer: Andrew Thomas Gallo.

Gallo is the man who was driving the minivan last night that ran a red light and caused Adenhart to crash his vehicle - which caused the Angels pitcher’s death.

Gallo fled the scene on foot but was quickly captured by Anaheim police.

He has since been charged with, you guessed it, driving under the influence of alcohol. And this isn’t the first time he’s been popped for DUI. Among other things. Read more…

TMZ reports this morning that 22-year-old Angels Pitcher Nick Adenhart was killed in a hit and run accident last night:

Cops say someone driving a minivan blew through a red light, causing the Mitsubishi that Adenhart and three others were riding in to hit a light pole. Three of the four people in the Mitsubishi were killed in the crash — Nick, another man and a woman — while the fourth person remains in the hospital.

Cops say the person driving the van fled the scene — but was later caught and charged with felony hit-and-run. The suspect is also being treated for injuries in a local hospital.

Funny how it will be headlined as an “accident”. Certainly doesn’t sound like it to me.

Hopefully we’ll soon have a positive I.D. on the bastard who murdered Adenhart - with the culprit subsequently jailed for a good, long time.

*UPDATE*: In the wake of Nick Adenhart’s tragic death, tonight’s Angels-Athletics game has been postponed.