Sacramento Man Convicted of Murder in Carjacking Spree That Ended in a Fatal Florin Road Crash

What the District Attorney Reported

A Sacramento County jury on Wednesday, August 19, 2026, found Jonathan Arredondo-Garcia, 25, guilty of two counts of first-degree murder for a carjacking spree in January 2023 that ended in a fatal crash on Florin Road, according to a news release from the Sacramento County District Attorney's Office.

The murder convictions were for the deaths of Stephanie Phan Ha, 49, and her friend Linh Phan, 42, both of Sacramento, who were in a sedan that was struck by a stolen vehicle. Prosecutors said the jury also convicted Arredondo-Garcia of two counts of robbery, carjacking, two counts of attempted carjacking, hit-and-run, and resisting arrest, and found true a special allegation involving the use of a knife.

According to prosecutors, the crime spree began on the morning of January 19, 2023, in south Sacramento and lasted about 30 minutes. Prosecutors said Arredondo-Garcia stole a vehicle and drove at nearly 100 mph before running a red light at the intersection of Florin Road and Florin-Perkins Road and crashing into the women's sedan. The California Highway Patrol reported that the two women were pronounced dead at the scene, and the crash was reported shortly after 10:15 a.m.

Sentencing was scheduled for September 11, 2026, in Sacramento Superior Court, where prosecutors said Arredondo-Garcia faces a maximum sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole. A jury verdict is a major step in a case, but sentencing follows later and a defendant can pursue an appeal.

Why a Verdict Like This Matters to Families

A criminal conviction can bring a measure of accountability, but it is a separate process from a civil claim. In a criminal case, the state seeks to punish the person responsible. In a civil claim, a family can seek accountability and financial recovery for the loss of a loved one. The two processes use different standards of proof, and a criminal outcome does not by itself decide a civil case.

California allows the family of someone killed by another person's wrongful conduct to pursue a wrongful-death claim, even when a crash also leads to criminal charges. What a family can recover depends on the specific facts, the parties involved, and the insurance coverage that may apply.

This article reports on a court outcome and does not offer an opinion on any specific family's legal options.

Insurance and Recovery After a Crash Involving a Crime

When a crash is caused by someone driving a stolen vehicle, the question of insurance can be complicated, and the at-fault driver may have no coverage of their own. In situations where an at-fault driver is uninsured, a family's own uninsured motorist coverage can sometimes provide a path to compensation.

Because these questions turn on the details of every available policy, a careful review is often an important early step for a grieving family. An experienced attorney can help identify what coverage may exist and explain what a civil review might involve.

Nothing here is a promise about any specific outcome. Every case depends on its own facts.