BUFFALO, NY – According to Erie County District Attorney John J. Flynn, 20-year-old Gino M. Cesar of Buffalo was sentenced yesterday afternoon before State Supreme Court Justice Debra Givens. As a result, he received a split sentence of 5 years of probation and time served in prison. The defendant’s driver’s license and vehicle registration were revoked by Judge Givens as part of his sentence.
At approximately 8:15 p.m. on December 13, 2021, the defendant was driving at a high rate of speed westbound on Genesee Street when he drove through a red light at Pine Ridge Road in Cheektowaga, causing a collision with another vehicle.
A 6-month-old male child who was a passenger in the other vehicle was killed as a result of the defendant’s reckless actions. A second passenger, an adult female, sustained serious physical injuries.
She spent more than a week in the hospital and underwent surgery for a fractured hip. She is continuing to recover from her injuries. A third passenger, a female adult, was treated for minor injuries and released from the hospital.
As a result of the collision, the defendant and his three passengers also sustained minor injuries.
Cesar pleaded guilty to one count of Criminally Negligent Homicide (Class “E” felony) and one count of Assault in the Second Degree (Class “D” felony) on September 20, 2022. He has been in custody since his initial arraignment in Cheektowaga Town Court on January 26, 2022.