Zdeineb Calderon: Drunk driver who killed father-of-three prays for family in court as she gets 10 years

Warning: This article contains a recollection of crime and can be triggering to some, readers’ discretion advised.

CALIFORNIA, LOS ANGELES: A 24-year-old California woman who fatally struck a father-of-three while driving under the influence received the maximum penalty on Monday, January 22.

In April 2022, Zdeineb Juarez Calderon was caught driving drunk for the second time in the same year.

She ran a stop sign and tragically struck and killed Jeff Nazaroff, 59. Additional information about the deceased father and Calderon's prison details emerged during the court hearing.

What did the authorities claim?

According to Law&Crime, authorities stated that Calderon had a blood alcohol content (BAC) of .25 on the day in question. Just two months earlier, she had been arrested for drunk driving with a BAC of .30. The defendant did not contest the charges against her.

Calderon had hoped the judge overseeing her sentencing would show some leniency due to her acceptance of blame — however, that did not happen. 

Instead, she will spend the next 10 years behind bars after pleading no contest to charges of gross vehicular manslaughter, driving with a suspended license, and driving under the influence.

What happened at the court hearing of Calderon?

During the recent hearing, Calderon reportedly requested her defense attorney, Alena Chaps, to read a letter on her behalf instead of addressing the court personally. 

Chaps read from the letter, “I tried so hard not to cry, not because I don’t feel remorse, but I felt that I didn’t deserve to be the one to cry."

Impact statements were then made, with the victim's widow among the loved ones addressing the court, expressing profound loss and grief on Monday. 

Janice Nazaroff stated during the hearing, "We are functioning, but we are sad. My kids and my grandkids are my everything. Jeff is not here with me to be a part of it. His family re-created. It is only with God’s help I’ll be able to crawl forward.”

The incident occurred as the victim, with the right of way, was driving a dump truck past the corner of Church Avenue and Brawley Avenue southwest of the Fresno city limits. 

Jeff Nazaroff was merely about 1,000 feet away from parking his truck in the company yard when he was instantly killed by Calderon driving a Jeep Wrangler. Calderon’s vehicle was traveling with such speed and force that the impact sent the dump truck directly into a tree in a nearby residential front yard.

In her letter, Calderon acknowledged that alcohol ruined her life and took another.

Chaps read, "I am trying to make a new path for myself so that I don’t become a statistic. My deepest condolences to the family. I just pray Jeff’s family and your honor have mercy."

Prosecutor Christopher Moss reportedly said, "She should have made an adjustment in her life then. But instead of making a positive decision, she doubled down and continued to drink and drive while impaired. And that resulted in the death of Mr Nazaroff.” 

The quick succession of drunk driving arrests in 2022 likely saved the defendant from the prospect of a potential life sentence. Had Calderon been convicted on the earlier drunk-driving charges, prosecutors could have asked the court to sentence her to life for killing the victim during a repeat DUI offense. 

The judge claimed, “Your life could have gone one of two ways, If you had made a different choice, we would not be here.”