Oh’Ryan Brooks, a 27‑year‑old father from Las Vegas, has been sentenced to a minimum of seven years and a maximum of 17½ years in prison for killing 12‑year‑old Cristofer Suarez in a crash that occurred while Brooks was allegedly high on marijuana. The incident happened on October 3, 2025, just outside a school zone, and led to Brooks pleading guilty to leaving the scene of a crash involving death, with other charges dropped as part of a deal.
What the crash looked like
- Brooks was caught on surveillance video driving fast on Owens Avenue near Eastern Avenue around 7:40 a.m. when he struck Cristofer, who was walking to school in an implied crosswalk.
- Witnesses told police Brooks was speeding, and that after the impact Cristofer was thrown into a wrought‑iron fence. Police said he claimed the sun was in his eyes and he “didn’t know what he hit.”
- Authorities noted Brooks was swaying and slurring his words when questioned, and his arrest report said he admitted to using a THC vape pen that morning, both while getting his kids ready for school and after the crash.
His alleged behavior after the crash
- Brooks fled the scene in his Mitsubishi SUV, then smoked more marijuana because he believed he was going to be arrested. Police later located him through his license plate and security footage that showed him inspecting the front of his vehicle.
- In the arrest report, police said he had his phone but did not call anyone, saying he “doesn’t do that and had no one to call.”
Plea deal and sentencing
- As part of the plea agreement, Brooks admitted to fleeing the scene but claimed another car hit him first and cracked his windshield, making it hard to see. Prosecutors and his own attorney both said no evidence supported that claim.
- The judge rejected a defense request for 2–5 years and gave Brooks 7–17½ years in prison, with 186 days already credited. She emphasized that accountability was necessary, even though it could not bring Cristofer back.
- Brooks was also ordered to pay $6,953.31 in restitution to Cristofer’s mother, Martina Suarez, who said that amount did not even cover her son’s funeral costs.
Victim’s mother’s statement
- Suarez told the court that six months after learning her son’s time of death, it still felt like a nightmare, and she asked the judge to give Brooks the maximum allowable sentence.
- In remarks after the hearing, she said the case had “ruined” her life but that she needed Brooks and his family to fully hear how badly he hurt her son, so she could eventually grieve and find closure.
Brooks apologized in court, saying, “It was a complete accident,” but the judge’s sentence and the public record emphasize that his choice to drive impaired and then flee led directly to a 12‑year‑old boy’s death on his way to school.
