HARRIS COUNTY, Texas – A man has been convicted and sentenced to 50 years in prison for a fatal hit-and-run crash that killed a 20-year-old from Cypress in 2022.
A jury found Destin Quintero guilty of murder and sentenced him to 50 years in prison along with a $10,000 fine.
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The crash happened on Nov. 19, 2022, when Harris County Pct. 4 deputies attempted to stop a Jeep Cherokee in the 15500 block of Cypress Rosehill for a traffic violation. Instead of pulling over, Quintero began to evade by speeding up and driving on the wrong side of the road.
Quintero then struck a Dodge Journey in a head-on collision, killing 20-year-old Caleb Rickenbacher. Rickenbacher’s girlfriend, Christina Diaz, was also in the Journey in the passenger’s seat.
After the crash, Quintero got out and ran away on foot. Investigators found that the Jeep Cherokee he had been driving was stolen that morning.
Quintero was not immediately apprehended. Investigators analyzed a cellphone that was possibly left by the suspect in the wrecked vehicle, which led to investigators identifying Quintero as the suspect in the case.
A warrant for Quintero’s arrest was issued in December 2022 and he reportedly turned himself in to authorities in January 2023.
After his arrest and booking into the Harris County Jail, a grand jury indicted him in March 2024 on murder and aggravated assault charges.
Quintero’s trial began on Sept. 26, with the jury returning a guilty verdict on Oct. 2.