Carjacker who ran over California man trying to rescue his van gets 25 years to life

A 32-year-old carjacker who ran over and killed a man who was trying to prevent him from stealing his work van was sentenced on Friday, Dec. 13, to 25 years to life in prison.

Omar Sanchez was convicted last month of first-degree murder for the carjacking-turned-killing of 33-year-old Jose Berrelleza-Ibarra in the early morning hours of Sept. 22, 2020.

Berrelleza-Ibarra had left the work truck at his brother-in-law’s home on Melinda Circle in Anaheim because he was worried the vehicle would be stolen if he left it parked in his own neighborhood, according to courtroom testimony.

The morning of the carjacking, Berrelleza-Ibarra had left the 2014 Mercedes Sprinter van running in order to warm it up while he stood nearby with his father and brother-in-law. The brother-in-law spotted a man in the front seat of the van, according to testimony, and yelled out, “Hey, there’s someone in your van!”

Berrelleza-Ibarra ran up to the van, managed to open the front passenger door but was unable to jump inside as the driver sped off, the brother-in-law later told police.

As the van swerved, Berrelleza-Ibarra apparently fell underneath the vehicle and the right rear tire went over his head.

The brother-in-law drove after the stolen van, following it through residential streets to an Anaheim motel a few miles away.

Sanchez, who was driving the van when it ran over Berrelleza-Ibarra, and Yesenia Escareno, who authorities allege drove Sanchez up to the van before he stole it, were taken into custody.

Escareno pleaded guilty last year to carjacking and being an accessory after the fact and was sentenced to nine years and eight months in prison. A second woman, Adriana Gomez, also admitted to being an accessory after the fact and received a two-year prison sentence.