An ex-sailor who killed a Point Loma woman while he was driving while intoxicated when he struck her car head-on pleaded guilty on April 20 to gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated.

Deputy District Attorney Hailey Williams said the driver has agreed to accept a sentence of 11 years and eight months in prison for causing the Dec. 21, 2021, death of Sarah Lombardi, 54.

Eric Deangelo Ramos Cortez, 25, also pleaded guilty to driving the wrong way on Interstate 8 just east of Sunset Cliffs Boulevard at 11:30 p.m. in his Subaru Outback SUV.

He had also been charged with second-degree murder, but San Diego Superior Court Judge Rachel Cano dismissed that charge when he pleaded guilty to the other charges. If convicted of murder, Ramos could have received a longer sentence and not be paroled until his 50s or 60s.

Cano set sentencing for May 22. Ramos remains in the South Bay Detention Facility without bail.

Sarah Lombardi was driving home from working at the Kansas City Barbecue restaurant where she had worked for 26 years in downtown San Diego. That restaurant was featured in the movie “Top Gun” starring Tom Cruise.

“The crash was a tragedy,” said Ramos’ attorney, Onell Soto, in an emailed statement on April 21. “He and his family send their condolences to Ms. Lombardi’s family.

“His actions reflect gross vehicular manslaughter, which is what he admitted to,” said Soto. “Unfortunately, nothing he can do can bring her back.

“We are grateful the District Attorney’s office took the time to consider the facts and agreed to a just resolution without the additional trauma a trial might have created,” said Soto.

“As a result of his actions, Mr. Ramos Cortez has lost his military career and will spend years in prison,” said Soto. “He will forever regret what he did.”

Ramos worked as an electrician and was in the Navy for two years, according to court records.

He was drinking alcohol the day of the collision and was searching for bars with “beer bucket deals” on his phone, according to testimony at his February preliminary hearing.

Ramos had a photo of two whiskey bottles on his phone in which he wrote that he was “about to play my favorite sport getting (obscenity) up in my car and trying to get back to my room before this hits me.”

Judge Aaron Katz, who conducted the preliminary hearing, said that the photo on Ramos’ phone was devastating to his case. “He had conscious disregard… He was so intoxicated he couldn’t appreciate a sign that said ‘wrong way’ after dropping off (a passenger),” said Katz, referring to an earlier incident that night in which Ramos nearly went the wrong way on another freeway.

“His focus was on himself, to become intoxicated, play Russian Roulette with other people’s lives,” said Katz as he ordered Ramos to stand trial for murder in February.

Sarah Lombardi is survived by her husband Danny Lombardi, whom she married in 2004, and their son Jonathan, and other family relatives.