Vincent Moroyoqui, the suspect in the fatal crash on Taft Highway last Thursday that killed a mother and daughter, has a history of driving while intoxicated.
23ABC investigated his previous charges and discovered he has been charged with a DUI three times over the past fifteen years, but was never convicted for those charges. In every case, he took a plea deal. Two plea deals resulted in a conviction of "wet reckless" driving, or driving while partially intoxicated and the third led to a conviction of "dry reckless" driving.
Local criminal defense attorney Jared Thompson, who is not working on this case but has worked similar cases in the past, says wet reckless driving is a lesser charge than a DUI and doesn't result in a suspended license.
"A wet reckless refers to a reckless driving incident that involves some measurable amount of alcohol. It doesn't require impairment and it doesn't require a certain blood alcohol. It just says alcohol was in the system and the person drove in a certain manner," said Thompson.
Dry reckless charging is driving poorly with no alcohol in your system.
Now, Moroyoqui is facing second degree murder and gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated charges. The police report from the day of the crash cites and officer saying Moroyoqui smelled of alcohol, slurred his words and couldn't maintain his balance. In this upcoming case, only one of the previous wet reckless charges can be used as a prior offense because the second was more than ten years ago, and they can only go back ten years.
Moroyoqui is due in court next in September.
