A Las Vegas driver who admitted to reckless driving in a crash that killed 42-year-old father Humberto Sanchez Aguero now faces 1 to 6 years in prison, while the victim’s family publicly argues that the plea deal falls far short of the harm done.
TLDR
In June 2025, Las Vegas father Humberto Sanchez Aguero was killed when his SUV was struck in an early morning intersection crash. Driver Raul Castorena, then 23, pleaded guilty to reckless driving resulting in death, with court records indicating a 1 to 6 year sentencing range.
Inset: Humberto Sanchez Aguero. Background: Las Vegas intersection where he was struck in a multiple-vehicle collision.
Early Morning Errand Ends in Fatal Collision
According to reporting by Law & Crime, Humberto Sanchez Aguero left his home in Las Vegas on a Sunday morning in June 2025 to run an errand at Walmart. He never made it back. Police said he was driving a 2005 Volkswagen Touareg and turning at the intersection of North Eastern Avenue and East Stewart Avenue when another vehicle entered the intersection at high speed.
Investigators alleged that 23-year-old Raul Castorena was behind the wheel of a 2021 Toyota Camry traveling east on Stewart Avenue around 6:24 a.m. Police said the Camry was moving at a high rate of speed as it approached a red light controlling the intersection with Eastern Avenue.
In a police press release quoted by Law & Crime, investigators described what they found at the scene: “Evidence at the scene and a witness statement indicated a 2021 Toyota Camry was traveling east on Stewart Avenue at a high rate of speed, approaching a red traffic signal at the intersection of Eastern Avenue.” The release continued that the Volkswagen was turning north to west when the Toyota entered the intersection without stopping.
Officers said the Camry failed to stop for the red signal and struck Aguero’s vehicle, then continued forward and hit a stopped 2019 Nissan Rogue, which in turn collided with a stopped Peterbilt semi-truck. The crash quickly escalated from a single impact to a chain reaction involving four vehicles.
Police stated that Aguero had to be mechanically extricated from his SUV and had “significant injuries.” He was transported to a local trauma center, where he was later pronounced dead. Castorena, according to police, also sustained substantial injuries and was taken to the same hospital. The driver and passenger in the Nissan reported injuries as well.
From DUI Charge to Reckless Driving Plea
The Clark County case initially involved more serious allegations. Law & Crime reports that Castorena was accused of driving drunk and running the red light in the 2021 Camry, and that he faced charges including DUI resulting in death and failure to obey a traffic control device.
Those counts were later dropped under a plea agreement. According to court records cited by Law & Crime, Castorena pleaded guilty to a single felony count of reckless driving resulting in death or substantial bodily harm. Under Nevada law, that offense is punishable by 1 to 6 years in prison and a possible fine. The plea removed the need for a trial and narrowed the legal questions to sentencing within that statutory range.
For Aguero’s widow, Ashley Perez-Sanchez, the shift from an alleged DUI causing death to a reckless driving plea has been a central point of frustration. In an interview with local television station KLAS, recounted by Law & Crime, she argued that the plea did not match the severity of her husband’s death.
Speaking about the driver, Perez-Sanchez said, as quoted, “My husband did not get a second chance, why does he?” She told the station that Castorena “chose to run that red light” and that he “chose to do all this,” framing his actions as a series of decisions rather than an unavoidable accident.
Under the plea deal, court records show Castorena now faces a minimum of one year and a maximum of six years in prison at sentencing. Perez-Sanchez called that range unacceptable. Law & Crime reports that she described the agreement as a “slap on the wrist” and said of the 1 to 6 year window, “That is not justice.”
The Clark County District Attorney’s Office did not provide additional information about the reasoning behind the plea arrangement when contacted by Law & Crime for comment on sentencing.
Family Grief and a Daily Reminder
Aguero left behind a wife and two sons. A fundraiser set up for the family described him as a devoted husband, loving father, and “hardworking provider” who was the “heart of his family.” The fundraiser text, quoted by Law & Crime, said the family was “heartbroken and struggling” after his death.
Perez-Sanchez told KLAS that her children have changed since losing their father. She said her older son has become quieter, while her younger child “has changed a lot” and that “they are not happy.” Those characterizations capture the family’s emotional reality more than any court filing could.
The place where Aguero died is inescapable for his widow. Perez-Sanchez said she passes the intersection of North Eastern and East Stewart every day on her commute. As quoted in the reporting, she explained, “I hate going by that intersection. I really do.” The crash site has become a daily reminder of both the suddenness of the loss and the legal case that followed.
Sentencing Range and Unanswered Questions
The plea to reckless driving resulting in death or substantial bodily harm has narrowed the legal issues. Castorena has admitted guilt to that charge, and the remaining dispute is over how much prison time a judge will impose within the allowed 1 to 6-year range. That sentencing decision is expected to weigh the severity of the conduct, any prior record, the impact on victims, and the defendant’s acceptance of responsibility.
For prosecutors, plea agreements in traffic fatalities can serve several purposes: securing a conviction, avoiding the uncertainties of trial, and sparing families from repeated court dates and testimony. For families like Aguero’s, the same agreements can feel like a discount on a life taken, especially when initially announced charges included DUI resulting in death and later resolved into a reckless driving conviction.
According to Law & Crime, Perez-Sanchez has been clear that she does not view the plea or potential sentence as adequate. Her comments illustrate a recurring tension in such cases, where statutory ranges and negotiated outcomes intersect with grieving families’ expectations of what accountability should look like.
As of the latest reporting, sentencing had not yet taken place, and the Clark County District Attorney’s Office had not publicly detailed why it agreed to reduce the charges. The judge in the case will ultimately determine where, between one and six years, Castorena’s sentence will fall, and whether any additional conditions, such as fines or supervision, will be imposed.
That pending decision leaves a set of unresolved questions. Within the limits of Nevada law, how much prison time reflects the gravity of an early morning decision to drive fast through a red light at a busy intersection? And more broadly, how should courts weigh a moment’s decision against a family’s permanent loss?
