Attorneys for the plaintiffs, the family of the two men, originally sought $64 million in the wrongful death lawsuit, according to Sacramento city officials. Jurors awarded roughly half that amount.<\/p>\n
Brothers Juan Carlos Rodriguez and Lionel Rodriguez were fatally struck on I-5 by Sacramento Police Det. Jonathan Thomas Nangle in December 2022. Their mother has sued the city. GoFundMe <\/p>\n
Jurors were asked to determine the two surviving children\u2019s non-economic damages \u2014 their past and future loss of love, comfort, care and guidance their father supplied.<\/p>\n
Each child was awarded $2.5 million for past loss and $12.5 million each for future losses. A special verdict returned Tuesday before Sacramento Superior Court Judge Julie Weng-Gutierrez awarded the children an additional $2.16 million, bringing the total to $32.1 million.<\/p>\n
Sacramento city officials on Friday expressed sorrow for the men\u2019s deaths in a written statement.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis case involves a profound tragedy, and the city remains deeply saddened by the loss of a father and the impact on his two children,\u201d said Gabby Miller, a Sacramento city spokesperson.<\/p>\n
The city accepted responsibility and admitted liability, Miller said, leaving Sacramento County jurors to decide an award. \u201cWe respect the judicial process and the service of the jury,\u201d Miller said.<\/p>\n
Nangle was arrested in September 2023 on two misdemeanor charges of vehicular manslaughter in the fatal collision after surrendering to deputies at the Sacramento County Sheriff\u2019s Office, according to previous Bee reporting<\/a>.<\/p>\n Sacramento County prosecutors alleged in a criminal complaint that Nangle failed to maintain his lane while driving, killing the Rodriguez brothers, and filed charges of misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter without gross negligence.<\/p>\n Nangle was sentenced in February 2025 to 120 days in Sacramento County Jail and was given the option to serve the time through community service, according to Bee reporting.<\/p>\n Rodriguez family members reacted with outrage. Their mother called the sentence \u201can injustice.\u201d<\/a> A surviving child at sentencing tearfully said her father and uncle\u2019s deaths \u201cdestroyed\u201d her family.<\/p>\n Nangle apologized to the survivors at his sentencing, saying the collision \u201crocked me to my core,\u201d and that he lived \u201cwith the trauma, regret and remorse\u201d of that December day.<\/p>\n The 2022 crash was not Nangle\u2019s first<\/a>, The Bee reported.<\/p>\n A civil lawsuit showed Nangle was involved in an on-duty collision in April 2021 at the intersection of Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and 47th Avenue. The crash injured motorist Emily Keophommachak, whose complaint alleged loss of use of property, medical expenses, general damages and property damage.<\/p>\n The city paid her $15,000, officials told The Bee.<\/p>\n This story was originally published April 24, 2026 at 3:27 PM.<\/p>\n Related Stories from Sacramento Bee<\/p>\n![\"Sacramento](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/SAC_36_HA_250203_NangleSentencing.JPG\" "\\"SAC_36_HA_250203_NangleSentencing.JPG\\"")
Sacramento Police Detective Jonathan Thomas Nangle, who plead guility to two misdemeanor counts of vehicular manslaughter in the death of brothers Juan Carlos Rodriguez and Lionel Rodriguez, was sentenced on Monday, Feb. 3, 2025, in Sacramento Superior Court to 120 days in jail, but he has a chance to apply for an alternative sentence such as community service. HECTOR AMEZCUA hamezcua@sacbee.com <\/p>\n