State Attorney Ed Brodsky announced today that Joshua Adam Slieff was convicted after entering a plea to two counts of Driving Under the Influence Manslaughter and one count of Refusal to Submit to Testing. The crimes were committed on October 23, 2024, and investigated by the Sarasota Police Department.
Circuit Judge Andrea DeCanio sentenced the defendant to 20.2 years in prison, followed by five years of probation.
Just before 10:00 p.m. on October 23, 2024, the defendant was traveling east on Fruitville Road, approaching Tuttle Avenue, in his SUV at speeds exceeding 80 mph. Leonel Ramirez, 37, and Reina Alcantar, 26, were in a sedan stopped at a red light at the intersection. The defendant rear-ended the sedan, pushing it through the intersection and causing the immediate death of Ms. Alcantar. Mr. Ramirez was transported to Sarasota Memorial Hospital, where he later succumbed to his injuries without regaining consciousness. The defendant refused to provide a breath sample, but at 1:00 a.m., pursuant to a search warrant, his blood was drawn, revealing a blood alcohol concentration of 0.220 g/100 mL.
The crime was investigated by Officer Michael Pietron and the Sarasota Police Department Traffic Homicide Unit. The crash was witnessed by a Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office deputy and several drivers stopped at the intersection. The defendant was approached by the deputy while still in his vehicle, and signs of impairment were immediately apparent. Further investigation by the Sarasota Police Department revealed that the defendant had been drinking at several establishments in downtown Sarasota. A search warrant for the defendant’s phone confirmed his GPS location throughout the night. Investigators were able to locate witnesses and obtain video footage of the defendant’s behavior before he drove his vehicle. They also collected video footage of the crash and recordings showing the defendant’s vehicle operating without mechanical issues prior to the collision. Investigators used the video evidence to estimate the defendant’s speed before the crash and confirmed that estimate using the event data recorder (EDR) from his SUV. The EDR also revealed that the defendant did not apply his brakes until 0.5 seconds before the crash.
The lead prosecutor in the case, Assistant State Attorney Brian Chambers, commented:
“Mr. Slieff previously participated in a first-time offender program after being arrested for DUI in 2018 in Massachusetts, where he also refused to provide a breath sample. His failure to learn from that experience has now cost two lives. Further, Ms. Alcantar and Mr. Ramirez each had two children, and those four children will now grow up with the empty space left behind by Mr. Slieff’s choices. The Sarasota Police Department left no stone unturned in investigating this case and uncovering evidence of the defendant’s crime. Judge DeCanio’s sentence reflects the devastating impact impaired driving has on our community. Every time someone drives under the influence, they threaten the lives of everyone else on the road.”
If you have any questions or would like further information, please contact Assistant State Attorney Brian Chambers in the Sarasota County office at 941-861-4400.