VAN NUYS : Man Given 12 Years in Crash That Killed Son

A North Hollywood man charged with second-degree murder for being drunk when his 5-year-old son was killed in a car crash abruptly pleaded no contest Monday to manslaughter and other charges and was sentenced to 12 1/2 years behind bars.

Pedro Panfilo Guzman, 35, who had three prior drunk driving convictions, agreed to a plea bargain and was promptly ordered to prison by Van Nuys Superior Court Judge Darlene Schempp.

The sentences on the prior convictions--one in 1985, two in 1989--were primarily probation, according to court records.

The deal closes a case that had been due to go to trial next week. In exchange for pleas of no contest to one count of vehicular manslaughter, another of drunk driving and a third of driving with a suspended license, prosecutors dropped the murder count.

If convicted of second-degree murder, Guzman could have drawn a maximum sentence of life in prison. The murder count, uncommon in drunk driving cases, was based on the theory that Guzman was keenly aware of the risks of driving drunk because he had attended a court-ordered alcohol education class.

However, Deputy Dist. Atty. Carole Chizever conceded that the murder charge would have been risky to take to a jury, in large part because the victim was Guzman’s son, William, and because Guzman has expressed deep remorse over the boy’s death.