PANORAMA CITY : Man Pleads Guilty in Vehicular Deaths

A 22-year-old San Fernando Valley man pleaded guilty to manslaughter charges Thursday in the drunk-driving deaths of two women on the Ventura Freeway last month.

Arturo C. Quintero of Panorama City entered the pleas in Ventura County Municipal Court, where he initially pleaded not guilty.

Through an interpreter, the Spanish-speaking Quintero pleaded guilty to two counts of gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated in the deaths of Sonia Schneider, 25, of Santa Barbara and Alicia Cranney, 26, of Santa Maria.

He also admitted causing bodily injury to Jacqueline Antles, 31, of Goleta and admitted he was convicted of drunk driving in 1990.

Investigators said the three women were friends who, with Antles’ husband, were on their way home from watching motorcycle races in Bakersfield when the fatal crash occurred about 3:25 a.m. June 27.

The group, in two cars, had pulled over just south of the Santa Barbara County line to check a trailer tire when Quintero plowed into the rear of the second car at about 85 m.p.h., investigators said.

Quintero’s blood-alcohol level was measured at 0.12 a few hours later, and investigators calculated that it probably was about 0.16--twice the legal limit--at the time of the crash.

Quintero received minor injuries.

His attorney, Deputy Public Defender Brian L. Boles, said one of the reasons Quintero pleaded guilty was to spare the victims’ families further grief.

Sentencing was scheduled for Aug. 13.