A Connecticut man was sentenced Wednesday to 15 years in prison for killing two people while driving drunk in 2022.
Michael Talbot, 25, pleaded guilty to two counts of first-degree manslaughter and several related charges back in December. Talbot admitted to killing Yuliana Arias Lozano and Giovani Vega Benis in the early morning hours of Dec. 3, 2022 in Stamford.
Talbot will spend five years on probation after completing his sentence, the Stamford Advocate reported.
Lozano and Benis, both 25, were employees at a restaurant in town and were headed home around 2 a.m. when they were struck by a 2022 Mercedes-Benz while crossing the street. Talbot was driving the Mercedes 86 mph in a 25 mph zone, according to police.
Cops said there were no skid marks on the road, implying that Talbot never even tried to slow down.
After the crash, Talbot hopped out of his car and ran away to hide behind a shed. When officers found him, he said, “Please tell me I didn’t kill anyone tonight,” according to his arrest warrant.
Talbot was under the influence of alcohol and marijuana at the time of the crash, cops said. His blood-alcohol level was more than twice the legal limit, and he admitted to drinking with friends before getting behind the wheel.
“I hate myself for causing what I’ve caused and for taking two beautiful lives,” Talbot said while pleading guilty in December. “I’d like to apologize to the families of Giovani and Yuliana.”
An attorney for Lozano’s family previously said they did not approve of the plea deal and hoped for a longer prison sentence. The maximum sentence for first-degree manslaughter in Connecticut is 20 years.
But Benis’ family said they understood how prosecutors arrived at the offer.
“I think it spares them the anguish of trial,” their attorney, Matthew Maddox, said in December.
