A motorist whose blood-alcohol level was more than twice the legal limit when he crashed a Lexus into cars and a big rig on Interstate 5 in Oceanside, killing the 9-year-old daughter of a woman he’d been dating, was sentenced Monday to four years in state prison.
Michael J. Wright Jr., 24, pleaded guilty on Dec. 7 to gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated and could have been sentenced to a maximum of 11 years behind bars under the plea agreement.
Deputy District Attorney Jodi Breton said Wright’s blood-alcohol level was estimated to be .17 to .18 percent at the time of the 1 a.m. crash last Aug. 3 that took the life of Violet Rosenquist, who was riding in the rear passenger seat of the 2006 Lexus.
The girl was pronounced dead at Rady Children’s Hospital in San Diego. Her 3-year-old sister escaped injury. The crash occurred after the defendant and the girls’ mother left a post- memorial service gathering at which both consumed alcohol, Breton said.
His girlfriend was passed out in the front seat, she said. Wright, from Commerce in Los Angeles County, failed to notice in time that vehicles ahead of him were slowing down and abruptly swerved to the right, crashing into a Dodge Caliber, hitting a Honda CRV and slamming into the left rear of a big rig, according to the California Highway Patrol.
The driver of the Dodge suffered minor injuries, while the Honda’s driver was taken to Tri-City Medical Center with moderate injuries, the CHP reported.
Wright and the victim’s mother had been dating for eight to 10 weeks when the accident happened, Breton said. Vista Superior Court Judge Daniel Goldstein sentenced the defendant to the low prison term because he had no previous criminal record, Breton said.
Source
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Former KFMB anchor arrested for suspicion of DUI
SAN DIEGO — Former radio and television news anchor Allison Ross was arrested early Sunday on suspicion of drunken driving.
Ross, 55, was taken into custody and booked about 5:30 a.m. into Las Colinas jail where she was being held on $2.500 bail, according to the Sheriff’s Department’s Web site.
She is scheduled to be arraigned on misdemeanor driving under the influence charges Wednesday afternoon.
Ross was an anchor on KFMB TV Channel 8 from 1978 to 1989. In the 90s, she did traffic reports for a couple of local stations and also appeared on a short-lived show on KNSD channel 7/39 in which she appeared with former mayor and radio talk show host Roger Hedgecock. After that she was heard on KOGO AM radio as a morning news anchor before being one of several employees laid off in November 2001.
Source
Ross, 55, was taken into custody and booked about 5:30 a.m. into Las Colinas jail where she was being held on $2.500 bail, according to the Sheriff’s Department’s Web site.
She is scheduled to be arraigned on misdemeanor driving under the influence charges Wednesday afternoon.
Ross was an anchor on KFMB TV Channel 8 from 1978 to 1989. In the 90s, she did traffic reports for a couple of local stations and also appeared on a short-lived show on KNSD channel 7/39 in which she appeared with former mayor and radio talk show host Roger Hedgecock. After that she was heard on KOGO AM radio as a morning news anchor before being one of several employees laid off in November 2001.
Source
Monday, June 28, 2010
Suspected drunk driver denies killing pregnant woman
SAN DIEGO, Calif. (CBS 8) - A suspected drunk driver is denying charges he struck and killed a pregnant woman on New Year's Day.
Joseph Anthony Venegas, 40, is being held on $200,000 bail Wednesday after pleading not guilty to gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated and two charges of DUI causing injury.
He is accused in the death of 21-year-old Elaina Luquis-Ortiz, who was six months pregnant, and seriously injuring two others.
Prosecutors say Venegas's SUV went off the 805 in the Webster area and slammed into a parked car on the side of the freeway.
His arraignment was delayed for 1 week while Venegas was placed on a medical hold.
According to prosecutor Corinne Miesfield, Venegas had a blood alcohol level of .25 - over three times the legal limit - when the crash happened.
Source
Joseph Anthony Venegas, 40, is being held on $200,000 bail Wednesday after pleading not guilty to gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated and two charges of DUI causing injury.
He is accused in the death of 21-year-old Elaina Luquis-Ortiz, who was six months pregnant, and seriously injuring two others.
Prosecutors say Venegas's SUV went off the 805 in the Webster area and slammed into a parked car on the side of the freeway.
His arraignment was delayed for 1 week while Venegas was placed on a medical hold.
According to prosecutor Corinne Miesfield, Venegas had a blood alcohol level of .25 - over three times the legal limit - when the crash happened.
Source
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
New information on man accused of deadly DUI crash
SAN DIEGO, Calif. (CBS 8) - The sister of a man accused of killing a pregnant woman while driving drunk spoke to News 8.
Rosemary Venegas says she's still coming to terms with the first-degree murder charges her brother, 40-year-old Joseph Venegas, has been booked on.
"We're all behind my brother, knowing the choice he made and the devastation that happened, we still love him and we're supporting him," Rosemary Venegas said.
The California Highway Patrol says the City Heights man was drunk and speeding down I-805 north near Home Avenue when he crashed his Chevy Tahoe into a Mazda RX-7, killing 21-year-old Elaina Luquis-Ortiz and her unborn around 3 a.m. on New Year's Day.
"I do know that he went to a party with some co-workers, that's what he told me. Other than that we don't know anything else," Rosemary Venegas said.
For the last two years, Joseph Venegas worked at a convalescent home preparing food. His sister says he is a soft-spoken, gentle man who loves dogs. She says he has no history of substance abuse and calls his actions completely out of character.
"We are very, very sorry and give our condolences to the family," Rosemary Venegas said.
Luquis-Ortiz was married and six-months pregnant when she loaned her Mistubishi Spyder to a 20-year-old Carol Silva for New Year's Eve. When the car got a flat, the Lemon Grove resident and her friend, 24-year-old Ivan Martinez, drove out to help. She parked her Mazda RX-7 behind the disabled car and were hit from behind while waiting for a tow truck.
"It's really hard. I wake up in the morning with an empty heart. I wake up destroyed," Luquis-Ortiz's mother Rhonda Zamora said.
Silva and Martinez are both recovering from severe injuries from the crash.
Joseph Venegas is currently being held without bail in the county jail and will face a judge for the first time on Wednesday.
Source
Rosemary Venegas says she's still coming to terms with the first-degree murder charges her brother, 40-year-old Joseph Venegas, has been booked on.
"We're all behind my brother, knowing the choice he made and the devastation that happened, we still love him and we're supporting him," Rosemary Venegas said.
The California Highway Patrol says the City Heights man was drunk and speeding down I-805 north near Home Avenue when he crashed his Chevy Tahoe into a Mazda RX-7, killing 21-year-old Elaina Luquis-Ortiz and her unborn around 3 a.m. on New Year's Day.
"I do know that he went to a party with some co-workers, that's what he told me. Other than that we don't know anything else," Rosemary Venegas said.
For the last two years, Joseph Venegas worked at a convalescent home preparing food. His sister says he is a soft-spoken, gentle man who loves dogs. She says he has no history of substance abuse and calls his actions completely out of character.
"We are very, very sorry and give our condolences to the family," Rosemary Venegas said.
Luquis-Ortiz was married and six-months pregnant when she loaned her Mistubishi Spyder to a 20-year-old Carol Silva for New Year's Eve. When the car got a flat, the Lemon Grove resident and her friend, 24-year-old Ivan Martinez, drove out to help. She parked her Mazda RX-7 behind the disabled car and were hit from behind while waiting for a tow truck.
"It's really hard. I wake up in the morning with an empty heart. I wake up destroyed," Luquis-Ortiz's mother Rhonda Zamora said.
Silva and Martinez are both recovering from severe injuries from the crash.
Joseph Venegas is currently being held without bail in the county jail and will face a judge for the first time on Wednesday.
Source
Monday, March 15, 2010
New information on man accused of deadly DUI crash
SAN DIEGO, Calif. (CBS 8) - The sister of a man accused of killing a pregnant woman while driving drunk spoke to News 8.
Rosemary Venegas says she's still coming to terms with the first-degree murder charges her brother, 40-year-old Joseph Venegas, has been booked on.
"We're all behind my brother, knowing the choice he made and the devastation that happened, we still love him and we're supporting him," Rosemary Venegas said.
The California Highway Patrol says the City Heights man was drunk and speeding down I-805 north near Home Avenue when he crashed his Chevy Tahoe into a Mazda RX-7, killing 21-year-old Elaina Luquis-Ortiz and her unborn around 3 a.m. on New Year's Day.
"I do know that he went to a party with some co-workers, that's what he told me. Other than that we don't know anything else," Rosemary Venegas said.
For the last two years, Joseph Venegas worked at a convalescent home preparing food. His sister says he is a soft-spoken, gentle man who loves dogs. She says he has no history of substance abuse and calls his actions completely out of character.
"We are very, very sorry and give our condolences to the family," Rosemary Venegas said.
Luquis-Ortiz was married and six-months pregnant when she loaned her Mistubishi Spyder to a 20-year-old Carol Silva for New Year's Eve. When the car got a flat, the Lemon Grove resident and her friend, 24-year-old Ivan Martinez, drove out to help. She parked her Mazda RX-7 behind the disabled car and were hit from behind while waiting for a tow truck.
"It's really hard. I wake up in the morning with an empty heart. I wake up destroyed," Luquis-Ortiz's mother Rhonda Zamora said.
Silva and Martinez are both recovering from severe injuries from the crash.
Joseph Venegas is currently being held without bail in the county jail and will face a judge for the first time on Wednesday.
Source
Rosemary Venegas says she's still coming to terms with the first-degree murder charges her brother, 40-year-old Joseph Venegas, has been booked on.
"We're all behind my brother, knowing the choice he made and the devastation that happened, we still love him and we're supporting him," Rosemary Venegas said.
The California Highway Patrol says the City Heights man was drunk and speeding down I-805 north near Home Avenue when he crashed his Chevy Tahoe into a Mazda RX-7, killing 21-year-old Elaina Luquis-Ortiz and her unborn around 3 a.m. on New Year's Day.
"I do know that he went to a party with some co-workers, that's what he told me. Other than that we don't know anything else," Rosemary Venegas said.
For the last two years, Joseph Venegas worked at a convalescent home preparing food. His sister says he is a soft-spoken, gentle man who loves dogs. She says he has no history of substance abuse and calls his actions completely out of character.
"We are very, very sorry and give our condolences to the family," Rosemary Venegas said.
Luquis-Ortiz was married and six-months pregnant when she loaned her Mistubishi Spyder to a 20-year-old Carol Silva for New Year's Eve. When the car got a flat, the Lemon Grove resident and her friend, 24-year-old Ivan Martinez, drove out to help. She parked her Mazda RX-7 behind the disabled car and were hit from behind while waiting for a tow truck.
"It's really hard. I wake up in the morning with an empty heart. I wake up destroyed," Luquis-Ortiz's mother Rhonda Zamora said.
Silva and Martinez are both recovering from severe injuries from the crash.
Joseph Venegas is currently being held without bail in the county jail and will face a judge for the first time on Wednesday.
Source
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Holidays see jump in DUI arrests
The number of people arrested for drunken driving this holiday season jumped dramatically over last year, according to preliminary statistics released Monday.
And, as part of a punishing annual tradition, anyone arrested over the New Year's weekend was stuck in jail awhile, as the Sheriff's Department suspended its quick-release protocol for first-time DUI offenders.
From Dec. 18 through midnight Sunday, 887 people were booked into San Diego County jails on suspicion of drunken driving, compared with 496 over the same period last year, sheriff's Sgt. Jason Rothlein said.
That means despite public awareness campaigns and recent high-profile roadway deaths, many people aren't taking the dangers of drinking and driving seriously, Rothlein said.
"It's unfortunate, but that would be the conclusion I would make," he said.
Over the New Year's holiday weekend, drunken driving arrests in San Diego County more than doubled, with 246 this year compared with 115 last year, Rothlein said.
The recording period was from midnight Thursday to midnight Sunday.
The arrests both years came during a grant-funded crackdown by 14 county police agencies, including the Sheriff's Department, the California Highway Patrol and Oceanside and Escondido police, Rothlein said.
The sergeant said enforcement, which included extra police on the streets and traffic checkpoints, was similar both years, and the increased arrests probably reflected a true spike in people drinking and driving over the holidays.
But some aren't sure.
Ross Burns, executive director of the San Diego office of Mothers Against Drunk Driving, said he believes that more people are calling 911 when they see someone on the road who looks drunk, leading to more arrests.
"I don't think the community and the public were assisting with catching as much" in years past, he said.
Whatever the reason for the arrests, Burns said, the numbers aren't wholly troubling.
"It's not distressing that we're catching them before they kill somebody," he said.
And Burns said it's clear that even the most effective awareness campaigns will never deter all drunken driving.
He believes that the next wave of prevention will come with the adoption of new technology imposed on offenders, such as Breathalyzer steering wheel locks or car sensors that detect a driver's blood alcohol and prevent a vehicle from starting.
The state is testing the use of car Breathalyzers in four counties. San Diego is not among them.
This weekend, people in jail for drunken driving didn't necessarily go free once they sobered up, sheriff's officials said.
As it has for the past several New Year's holiday weekends, the Sheriff's Department suspended its quick-release program for first-time drunken driving suspects, who instead stayed in jail until they could post $2,500 bail.
If they couldn't make bail, the drivers were stuck in jail until their arraignments, which by law may come as late as Wednesday.
Drunken driving arrests statewide also climbed this holiday weekend compared with last year.
From 6 p.m. Thursday until 6 a.m. Sunday, the California Highway Patrol arrested 1,252 people on suspicion of drunken driving statewide, compared with 986 during last year's holiday weekend, CHP Officer Ray Scheidnes said.
While there were no North County roadway deaths over the holiday weekend, the region had three roadway fatalities this New Year's holiday weekend compared with one last year.
A pregnant woman and her unborn child were killed by an alleged drunken driver on Interstate 805 in San Diego, and a woman was struck by a car in Chula Vista.
Source
And, as part of a punishing annual tradition, anyone arrested over the New Year's weekend was stuck in jail awhile, as the Sheriff's Department suspended its quick-release protocol for first-time DUI offenders.
From Dec. 18 through midnight Sunday, 887 people were booked into San Diego County jails on suspicion of drunken driving, compared with 496 over the same period last year, sheriff's Sgt. Jason Rothlein said.
That means despite public awareness campaigns and recent high-profile roadway deaths, many people aren't taking the dangers of drinking and driving seriously, Rothlein said.
"It's unfortunate, but that would be the conclusion I would make," he said.
Over the New Year's holiday weekend, drunken driving arrests in San Diego County more than doubled, with 246 this year compared with 115 last year, Rothlein said.
The recording period was from midnight Thursday to midnight Sunday.
The arrests both years came during a grant-funded crackdown by 14 county police agencies, including the Sheriff's Department, the California Highway Patrol and Oceanside and Escondido police, Rothlein said.
The sergeant said enforcement, which included extra police on the streets and traffic checkpoints, was similar both years, and the increased arrests probably reflected a true spike in people drinking and driving over the holidays.
But some aren't sure.
Ross Burns, executive director of the San Diego office of Mothers Against Drunk Driving, said he believes that more people are calling 911 when they see someone on the road who looks drunk, leading to more arrests.
"I don't think the community and the public were assisting with catching as much" in years past, he said.
Whatever the reason for the arrests, Burns said, the numbers aren't wholly troubling.
"It's not distressing that we're catching them before they kill somebody," he said.
And Burns said it's clear that even the most effective awareness campaigns will never deter all drunken driving.
He believes that the next wave of prevention will come with the adoption of new technology imposed on offenders, such as Breathalyzer steering wheel locks or car sensors that detect a driver's blood alcohol and prevent a vehicle from starting.
The state is testing the use of car Breathalyzers in four counties. San Diego is not among them.
This weekend, people in jail for drunken driving didn't necessarily go free once they sobered up, sheriff's officials said.
As it has for the past several New Year's holiday weekends, the Sheriff's Department suspended its quick-release program for first-time drunken driving suspects, who instead stayed in jail until they could post $2,500 bail.
If they couldn't make bail, the drivers were stuck in jail until their arraignments, which by law may come as late as Wednesday.
Drunken driving arrests statewide also climbed this holiday weekend compared with last year.
From 6 p.m. Thursday until 6 a.m. Sunday, the California Highway Patrol arrested 1,252 people on suspicion of drunken driving statewide, compared with 986 during last year's holiday weekend, CHP Officer Ray Scheidnes said.
While there were no North County roadway deaths over the holiday weekend, the region had three roadway fatalities this New Year's holiday weekend compared with one last year.
A pregnant woman and her unborn child were killed by an alleged drunken driver on Interstate 805 in San Diego, and a woman was struck by a car in Chula Vista.
Source
Monday, February 15, 2010
Allison Ross, Former San Diego TV and Radio News Anchor, Arrested for DUI
t was a bad weekend for Allison Ross, a San Diego news anchor who was arrested on suspicion of drunk driving.
Apparently a policeman had to swerve to avoid hitting Ross' car, and he promptly turned around and pulled her over. The 55-year-old was subjected to a field sobriety test and taken to a women's jail in Santee, with bail set at $2,500.
Ross worked in TV for the network KFMB-TV in the late 1970s and '80s. She switched to KNSD 7/39 for a couple of years and then worked in radio until 2001. She'll be expected in court Wednesday on misdemeanor DUI charges.
Source
Apparently a policeman had to swerve to avoid hitting Ross' car, and he promptly turned around and pulled her over. The 55-year-old was subjected to a field sobriety test and taken to a women's jail in Santee, with bail set at $2,500.
Ross worked in TV for the network KFMB-TV in the late 1970s and '80s. She switched to KNSD 7/39 for a couple of years and then worked in radio until 2001. She'll be expected in court Wednesday on misdemeanor DUI charges.
Source
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