A Santa Paula man is facing serious charges after a DUI crash that left a sheriff's deputy and a K9 injured, Ventura County District Attorney Erik Nasarenko confirmed today. Gerardo Israel Escalante, 34, has been charged with felony DUI causing injury, and felony driving with a .08 percent blood alcohol level causing injury, he's also racked up a misdemeanor for unlawful vehicle operation along with several special allegations because of the severity of the accident and his prior convictions.
The chaotic incident went down on the evening of December 16, when California Highway Patrol received reports of a white Mercedes veering wildly and eventually colliding head-on with a Ventura County Sheriff’s patrol vehicle on the Pacific Coast Highway, both vehicles were damaged and the patrol car ended up down an embankment near the ocean’s edge, while the deputy and his K9 were still inside, according to official statements. Both the officer and the dog were promptly taken to Ventura County Medical Center, the deputy to tend to his injuries and the K9 to address a cut on its face, according to the District Attorney's press release.
Escalante, already on probation for a prior DUI, was treated for his own injuries before being arrested and taken into custody – his arraignment's been set for December 27. With bail at $500,000, he's looking at a string of special allegations including prior DUI convictions and inflicting great bodily injury during the commission of a felony. Deputy District Attorney Kelsey Einhorn, from the Ventura County DA’s DUI Unit, is taking point on the prosecution.
"It's important that we hold those who put the public in danger accountable for their actions," Einhorn remarked on the gravity of DUI-related offenses and the consequences they bear, as Escalante's previous DUIs and the current charges clearly illustrate the hazards of such reckless behavior. If convicted, Escalante could face a lengthy prison sentence reflective of not just the current allegations but also his prior record, which indicates a persistence of increasingly serious convictions and a troubling disregard for the law while under probation, the release detailed.
