Santiago Cardenas III, 19, of Kingsville, pleaded guilty on Friday to the charge of Manslaughter with a Deadly Weapon (automobile).

Cardenas was placed on 10 years deferred adjudication probation for the second degree felony.

If his probation is revoked, he is facing up to 20 years in prison.

Judge Martin Chiuminatto also ordered Cardenas to spend 180 days in jail, served day for day, as a condition of the probation as recommended by District Attorney John Hubert. Cardenas was also fined $5,000 fine.

The charge stemmed from a Nov. 2, 2008 traffic accident that killed longtime local resident Maria Hernandez, 65.

Evidence submitted showed that the defendant admitted to drinking one beer at a party in Ricardo earlier, Hubert said.

Toxicology reports did not show any alcohol but did show a small amount of the prescription drug, alprazolam, according to Hubert.

During the hearing, the defendant admitted to taking the prescription drugs when they were passed around at the party, and had also planned to do this while his parents were out of town, Hubert said.

The defendant left the party with several friends, one of whom was driving, according to the district attorney; however, that friend wrecked his car on Caesar Street.

After the wreck, all three walked to the Cardenas’s home where he borrowed his sister’s car and attempted to take his friends home when he struck the car driven by Hernandez.

Statements in the courtroom showed that the defendant could have stayed home or even asked a relative to drive, Hubert said.

“All too often, we see teenagers involved in this type of behavior. I hope that this case will help kids realize that there will be consequences to their actions,” Hubert said.

While the evidence was not strong enough to show intoxication, it did demonstrate sever exhaustion due to the ingestion of the abused prescription drugs and alcohol, Hubert noted.

“The defendant drove in spite of the knowledge of this exhaustion, crossed into an oncoming lane and struck the vehicle containing Mrs. Hernandez,” Hubert said.

Hernandez’s family was present at the hearing.

Later, the family agreed that their mother would have forgiven Cardenas but that he needed to take this chance to live a drug free life and do things for others that their mother could no longer do, Hubert said.

“Any traffic accident involving a death is a difficult case to evaluate. The evidence showed that this was more than a mere accident; it was something that the defendant should have known was going to happen in his driving condition,” Hubert said.

“Mrs. Hernandez was a pillar of the community. We have lost a great deal with her death. I can only hope that Mr. Cardenas uses this opportunity to better his life and follow the wishes of her family,” Hubert said.