Medina man, 20, pleads guilty to criminally negligent homicide in MVA death

MEDINA – A Medina man pleaded guilty in Orleans County Court today to criminally negligent homicide, admitting to driving at a high rate of speed and through a stop sign in an accident that resulted in the death of Gabriel J. Casanova, 19, on June 25, 2023.

Rashawn Bloom, 20, was driving a 2009 Lincoln Navigator with three other passengers at about 2:30 a.m. They had just left a bonfire on East Countyhouse Road when District Attorney Joe Cardone said Bloom drove off at speeds topping 85 miles per hour. He also went through the stop sign at Countyhouse Road and Route 98 and then lost control of the vehicle on West Countyhouse Road. The vehicle overturned multiple times.

Casanova died from blunt force trauma to the head and other parts of his body, Cardone said in court today.

Bloom was charged by State Police in April for first-degree reckless endangerment, a D felony with a maximum sentence of seven years in state prison.

Bloom agreed to a plea deal today with the District Attorney’s Office, where he will face a split sentence of six months in the county jail and five years of probation. He will be sentenced on Nov. 25.

County Court Judge Sanford Church went over the meaning of criminally negligent homicide, where a person creates a substantial risk by being reckless, inattentive or careless, leading to the death or another person. The defendant faces this charge shows a “gross deviation from the standard of care by a reasonable person,” Church said.

Bloom was released on his own recognizance at the town court level, before the case was moved to County Court. Judge Church decided to set bail at $1,000 cash or $2,500 bond.