Search Results for: DUI

Woman charged with murder in fatal DUI crash that killed tennis star

Manhattan Beach, CA – A California woman has been charged with murder following a crash that resulted in the death of high school tennis star Braun Levi. Jenia Resha Belt, 33, faces second-degree murder charges as confirmed by the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.

Belt was arrested on December 23, months after the May 4 incident in which Levi, 18, was struck while walking with a friend. Initially arrested at the scene, Belt is charged with being intoxicated and driving with a suspended license from a previous drunk driving arrest.

Levi was crossing Sepulveda Boulevard around 12:45 a.m. when he was hit. First responders found him in the roadway, and he died after being taken to a hospital.

According to court records, Belt had a blood alcohol level nearly double the legal limit during the crash. The four passengers in her vehicle fled the scene, and she was subsequently arrested after being released in June.

Levi’s family lost their home in the January Palisades wildfires and had moved to Manhattan Beach just four months before his death. They have established a foundation in his memory and filed a $200 million wrongful death lawsuit against Belt in November.

Belt faces charges of second-degree murder, gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, and driving with a suspended license. She is expected to be arraigned on December 31.

Judge charged with DUI after crash into snowbank

Owatonna, MN An appeals court judge faces two counts of operating a vehicle while intoxicated following a crash. Renee Lee Worke, a Minnesota Court of Appeals judge, reportedly crashed into a snowbank while her blood-alcohol content registered at 0.16, twice the legal limit.

Deputies from the Steele County Sheriff’s Office responded to the incident on Highway 14 near the Interstate 35 overpass Wednesday night around 9 p.m. Upon arrival, a deputy observed Worke exhibiting glassy eyes and slurred speech.

She claimed to have consumed one glass of wine two hours earlier at a friend’s house. The deputy noted her slow motor function and unsteadiness on her feet; she required assistance walking back to the squad car after the crash.

Worke submitted to a breathalyzer test, which indicated a blood-alcohol content of 0.16. She was then taken into custody at the Steele County Jail, from which she has since been released on bond.

Governor Tim Pawlenty appointed Worke to the Minnesota Court of Appeals in 2005. She has been re-elected multiple times, and her current term is set to end in 2031. Prior to her appellate appointment, Worke served as a district judge for nearly a decade.

Sonal Patel sentenced for fatal DUI crash that killed Cuban immigrant

Lawrenceville, GA

Sonal Nandkishor Patel has been sentenced to seven years in prison following a fatal car crash. The incident occurred on February 4, resulting in the death of Omar Ortiz, a father of two.

Patel, 40, pleaded guilty to vehicular homicide and DUI as part of a plea agreement with prosecutors. After her release, she will serve 18 years on probation.

Prosecutors stated that Patel was intoxicated and had not slept for two days when the crash happened. The collision occurred around 4 a.m. when Ortiz was a passenger in a vehicle driven by Leticia Almaguer, who struck Patel’s car that was stopped in the middle of the interstate.

Emergency responders transported Almaguer and Patel to the hospital, while Ortiz was pronounced dead at the scene. Police found cocaine in Patel’s vehicle, and it was revealed that she did not have a valid driver’s license.

Patel had a prior DUI conviction in 2007. Despite this, she was able to bond out of pretrial detention twice, prompting reactions from Ortiz’s family.

Karina Deochand, representing Ortiz’s family, expressed disappointment over Patel’s ability to bond out. Almaguer commented on Ortiz’s intention to provide a better life for his children.

Ortiz had recently immigrated to the U.S. from Cuba, seeking a future for his family. Almaguer stated that his children will grow up without their father.