San Jose man pleads no contest to killing two women in Thanksgiving 2021 crash. His sentence depends on his conduct between now and June

OAKLAND — A San Jose man has pleaded no contest to killing two women after he crashed a Tesla into their parked Volkswagen on the early morning of Thanksgiving 2021, but he has a big motive to stay out of trouble before his June sentencing.

Robert Jacob Espinoza, 28, will be sentenced to seven years in state prison if he remains arrest-free until his June 14 sentencing. If he gets into trouble, he faces up to 11 years in state prison, according to a transcript of his Feb. 28 plea deal.

Espinoza was charged in 2022 with vehicular manslaughter and drunk driving in the deaths of Charlotte Pereira and Ann Marie Carpaneto. Police say Espinoza crashed into their parked Volkswagen on Interstate 880 in Union City at around 3 a.m. on Thanksgiving 2021 and that three people in the Tesla were hurt too.

As part of his plea deal, Espinoza’s drunk driving charges were dropped. He remains out of jail on what’s called a Cruz Waiver, a legal agreements that allows a defendant to not go to jail immediately after a conviction, but imposes consequences if he violates the law or his release terms.