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Woman Gets 30 Years for DUI Crash Killing Two Married Porterville Couples

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Jazmin Paramo was drunk and had marijuana in her system when she killed four Porterville motorcyclists in a wrong-way head-on crash. (Shutterstock)
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A 27-year-old woman received a 30-year prison sentence on Tuesday for a 2019 DUI crash that killed four motorcyclists on Highway 65 in Tulare County.

Booking photo of Jazmin Paramo

Jazmin Paramo (Tulare County Sheriff’s Office)

The sentencing followed Jazmin Paramo’s no-contest plea on Feb. 28 to felony charges that included four counts of gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, and assault with a deadly weapon causing great bodily injury.

According to the California Highway Patrol, Paramo crashed an Infiniti SUV head-on into two Harley-Davidson motorcycles at about 2 a.m. on Aug. 4, 2019, in Strathmore. The collision killed married couples  Gilbert Vargas and Mitzi Rodriguez, and Jose Vargas and Rita Vargas — all of Porterville.

Officers found Paramo in the front seat of her vehicle. Her blood alcohol count was .09%, and toxicology reports showed the presence of marijuana in her system, the Tulare County District Attorney’s Office said.

Paramo did not have any previous criminal convictions. However, at the time of the fatal collision, she was driving with a suspended license for failure to appear for traffic violations.

Senior deputy district attorney Noell Niayesh prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the CHP.

Bill McEwen is news director and columnist for GV Wire. He joined GV Wire in August 2017 after 37 years at The Fresno Bee. With The Bee, he served as Opinion Editor, City Hall reporter, Metro columnist, sports columnist and sports editor through the years. His work has been frequently honored by the California Newspapers Publishers Association, including authoring first-place editorials in 2015 and 2016. Bill and his wife, Karen, are proud parents of two adult sons, and they have two grandsons. You can contact Bill at 559-492-4031 or at Send an Email

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