A Houston woman has been convicted of killing a sheriff’s deputy while driving under the influence

HOUSTON – Houston woman Lavilia Chantaelle Spry was sentenced to 43 years in prison for the murder of a Harris County a sheriff’s deputy driving while intoxicated in 2022.

A 42-year-old man has been convicted of the intoxication manslaughter of a police officer after a weeklong trial, Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg said Thursday.

On January 24, 2022, Sergeant Ramon Gutierrez, a 45-year-old deputy, was working after hours as a motorcycle escort. He was assisting a heavy-duty truck on the East Beltway ramp near Tidwell in northeast Harris County. Gutierrez was standing off his bike to block the exit when Spry, driving under the influence, ran over his bike and hit him. Instead of stopping, she drove off, but was soon pulled over by another deputy.

CRIME: Houston, 19, has been charged with his mother’s murder, HCSO said

“It was not an accident. Drunk driving is not an accident, and killing a person while driving under the influence is a predictable consequence; therefore, it could have been prevented,” Ogg said. “Ramon Gutierrez could be alive today with her family if she had made a different choice.”

During the trial, Assistant District Attorney Lauren Bard described Spry’s reckless behavior, saying she had spent the night drinking at a bar with no plans other than to drink and then go home. “We have so many other options. Call a cab, call a friend, call an Uber — make a plan to do something that doesn’t ruin your life and the lives of a lot of other people,” Bard said.

Gutierrez, a 20-year law enforcement veteran, was fondly remembered by his family and colleagues. He was married to his high school sweetheart and was the father of three children. Gutierrez was part of a law enforcement team that investigated and prosecuted fatal drunk driving cases. “We’re just happy that justice has been served and that my father is remembered as the hero that he was,” Alfred Gutierrez, the victim’s eldest son, told the court.

Get news, weather and more with the new FOX LOCAL app

The jury sentenced Spry to 43 years in prison. She will have to serve at least 21 years and six months before being eligible for parole.

Bard, who is the division chief who runs the DA’s Office of Transportation Crimes, prosecuted Spry along with attorney Cameron Culligan, who is the chief of the organized crime division.