CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Two years ago, Roman and Rosi Perez left a birthday party for Rosi’s daughters — and never came home. The couple was riding with the Calavera Motorcycle Club on Airline Road when a truck made a left turn in front of their motorcycle. Roman and Rosi were both killed.
The driver, Carmen Guevara, was drunk. The investigation that followed left Roman’s mother, Letty Perez, with questions she says remain unanswered.
Police initially reported that Guevara — whose blood alcohol content was 0.11 — made a left turn into a private driveway in front of Roman’s motorcycle.
Guevara was booked into Nueces County Jail and charged with two counts of intoxication manslaughter.
The crash report also noted Roman’s blood alcohol level was 0.15 — above the legal limit.
As the case developed, KRIS 6 obtained documents sent to the District Attorney that would change the direction of the case. Two independent experts examined surveillance video from a nearby Whataburger and reached consistent conclusions.
The first — Ricardo Palacios, a retired DPS sergeant hired by the defense — calculated the motorcycle was traveling between 58 and 68 miles per hour in a 35 mile-per-hour zone. He also concluded the motorcycle’s headlight appeared to be off at the time of the crash.
The second — Sgt. C.J. Villarreal of the DPS State Crash Reconstruction Team, working independently with the district attorney’s office — reviewed the same video and reached the same conclusions. Villarreal calculated the motorcycle was traveling between 59 and 64 miles per hour. After reviewing the video nearly 50 to 60 times, he concluded the headlight did not appear to be on, making the motorcycle difficult to see in the dark.
In a letter to the DA, Villarreal wrote that had the motorcycle been traveling the speed limit, the crash likely would not have happened.
Jimmy Granberry told KRIS 6 that based on both expert findings, he could not pursue charges of intoxication manslaughter against Carmen Guevara.
Instead, he offered Guevara a plea deal. She pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor DWI. She was sentenced to 180 days and received credit for time already served.
For Letty Perez, the outcome raises questions — including about witness statements she says were never collected from members of the Calavera Motorcycle Club who were at the scene.
“So what happened to the statements that were given by the six other Calaveras?,” I asked.
“They were never given. They were never taken. The detective never made time to contact these Calaveras to complete the investigation the proper way, no. They want me to do that. They want me to contact these Calaveras and tell them y’all need to step up and do y’all’s part,” said Perez.
Those are claims KRIS 6 has not been able to independently verify. What the documents do show is that the DA relied on two experts — one hired by the defense, one from the state — who both pointed to the motorcycle’s speed and missing headlight as contributing factors.
Perez said, “I have to accept what I have to accept. I pray to God she’s right with God. Because she will be judged. And I can’t judge her.”
Perez tells me, she was grateful she was able to spend 10 hours with her son before he passed away. Describing the painful moment she recounts daily.
“No parent should bury their kid. I tell everybody, appreciate what you have. Because you don’t know when it’s gonna be your last time. Nobody’s promised tomorrow. Nobody is, and I tell my kids daily, we’re not promised tomorrow.”
Mrs. Perez’s message to anyone who drinks and drives: Don’t.
Roman left behind a son and daughter. Rosi left behind three daughters.
KRIS6 reached out to Guevara's lawyer for comment on her plea deal. They did not get back to us.
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