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Left inset: Oh’Ryan Brooks in court (KSNV). Right inset: Cristofer Suarez (GoFundMe). Background: The area near Owens Avenue and 21st Street in Las Vegas, Nev., where Oh’Ryan Brooks allegedly struck and killed Cristofer Suarez on Oct. 3, 2025 (KVVU).
A Las Vegas man is heading to prison for a minimum of seven years after a tragic incident involving a THC vape pen led to the death of a 12-year-old boy. The man, identified as Oh’Ryan Brooks, 27, was reportedly under the influence while getting his children ready for school, dropping them off, and then using the vape pen again before the fatal accident.
In a Clark County court on Monday, Brooks accepted a plea deal which resulted in the dismissal of several charges, including DUI and reckless driving. As a result, he was sentenced to serve between seven and 17 1/2 years in prison for leaving the scene of a fatal crash, with credit for 186 days already served, according to court documents.
The sentencing hearing saw differing opinions on the appropriate punishment. Brooks’ defense attorney suggested a prison term of two to five years, contrasting with prosecutors who advocated for a 20-year sentence.
“Nothing can bring the victim back,” remarked Clark County Judge Maria Gall, as reported by local ABC affiliate KTNV. “However, accountability for this crime is essential, and five years does not suffice given the circumstances.”
Surveillance footage allegedly captured Brooks colliding with Cristofer Suarez on October 3, 2025, at approximately 7:40 a.m., near the intersection of Eastern Avenue and Owens Avenue. Witnesses reported to the police that Brooks was “speeding on Owens Avenue” before the impact, which propelled Suarez into a nearby wrought iron fence.
After the alleged crash, Brooks claimed the sun was in his eyes and he had no idea what he hit, per police. Cristofer was walking to class that morning and had just taken a few steps off the curb, while walking in an implied crosswalk within an active school zone, when Brooks mowed him down, according to cops.
“Today marks six months since I heard his time of death, and I still hope to wake up from this horrible nightmare one day,” Cristofer’s mother, Martina Suarez, reportedly said in court. “Your honor, even though nothing will bring my son back, I ask you to give him the max. Please don’t let him get away with killing my son. No child should be killed, especially while going to school. You are our last hope for justice.”
Cops said Brooks confessed to being behind the wheel and smoking the THC vape pen while getting his children ready for school. Authorities noted in his arrest report, which was obtained by local CBS affiliate KLAS, that he was allegedly “swaying from side to side and slurring his words” while speaking to them and nearly fell over.
Brooks allegedly fled from the scene of the crash in his Mitsubishi SUV and then smoked more marijuana “because he knew he was going to jail,” according to the report. Police said Brooks was tracked and located through his license plate number, with security footage from an apartment where he was found allegedly showing him inspecting the front of his vehicle.
“He mentioned that he had his cell phone with him but did not make any calls because he doesn’t do that and had no one to call,” the arrest report said.
As part of his plea deal, Brooks admitted to fleeing the scene of the crash but insisted he did not cause it. He claimed in court on Monday that another car had hit him, cracking his windshield and making it hard to see. Both prosecutors and his own attorney clarified that this claim was not supported by the evidence, KTNV reports.
Brooks has been ordered to pay $6,953.31 in restitution to Cristofer’s mother. She has said that the amount was not even enough to pay for her son’s funeral.
“Not even near enough,” Suarez told reporters after Brooks accepted his plea deal in February.
Speaking to KTNV after the sentencing, Suarez said, “This ruined my whole life, and he’s going to get out, and he’s still going to be young, but I wanted him to hear exactly what he did — him and his family to hear exactly how badly he hurt my son. To eventually be able to grieve my son correctly and have closure, I need to know, and I need to make sure that I did everything that I could.”
Brooks, despite his claims about his windshield being cracked and another driver causing the crash, did apologize to Cristofer’s family during the hearing.
“I want to say sorry,” he told Suarez and others in attendance. “It was a complete accident.”