Prison for Modesto man with two DUI arrests in two months

Rigoberto Luis Gonzalo Villanueva was arrested in Modesto twice in two months on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol.

The first time he was arrested, Villanueva ran a stop sign and crashed, injuring two people in another vehicle. The second time, he led police in a short chase while driving with a blood alcohol content of more than three times the legal limit, according to prosecutors.

Last week, Villanueva, 26, was sentenced to three years in prison for the second DUI arrest, a crime he committed while on probation for the first DUI arrest.

According to a news release from the Stanislaus County District Attorney’s Office, on March 20, 2016, Villanueva ran the stop sign and broadsided the other vehicle, injuring its two occupants. Modesto police officers noticed Villanueva showed obvious symptoms of being drunk. Prosecutors said his blood alcohol content was 0.20, which is more than twice the legal limit.

Twelve days later, Villanueva pleaded guilty to felony DUI causing injury. He also admitted an enhancement that he injured more than one person in the crash and that his blood alcohol content was more than 0.15 percent. The defendant was ordered to serve probation and 180 days in the county jail.

Before Villanueva was scheduled to surrender himself at the jail to serve his sentence, he was arrested the second time on suspicion of DUI.

Modesto police stopped Villanueva for several traffic violations on May 31, 2016. Prosecutors said Villanueva failed to stop initially, and he was arrested after the short police chase. Villanueva, again, showed signs of alcohol intoxication. His blood alcohol content was 0.25 percent, more than three times the limit, according to prosecutors.

Nearly a year later, Villanueva was convicted for the second DUI arrest. Villanueva on May 11 pleaded guilty to felony DUI, the Stanislaus County District Attorney’s Office announced Monday. Villanueva admitted in court he had prior felony DUI with injury conviction. The defendant also admitted he violated his probation.

Stanislaus Superior Court Judge Rick Distaso sentenced Villanueva to an additional three years in prison for the March 2016 DUI conviction, but the defendant will serve that sentence concurrently.

Deputy District Attorney Bianca Yip prosecuted the case. Her job is funded by a grant provided by the state Office of Traffic Safety.

This story was originally published May 15, 2017 at 1:58 PM with the headline "Prison for Modesto man with two DUI arrests in two months."