The Twin Falls teenager accused of injuring his girlfriend and their 5-day-old baby when he drove his car into a Paul home is scheduled to be sentenced for driving under the influence after he signed a plea agreement with prosecutors.
David R. Torres, 17, allegedly crashed his Chevrolet Cobalt into Donna Holder’s house along 123 E. Ellis St. in Paul on Sept. 20. Neighbors found Torres’ infant son on the trunk of the car, the baby’s 17-year-old mother still inside, and Torres lying on the ground. No one was restrained by safety belts, authorities have said.
Torres was charged Sept. 20 as an adult with felony DUI, felony injury to a child and driving without privileges. He signed a plea agreement filed Nov. 9 that says Minidoka County Prosecutor Lance Stevenson will dismiss the charges of injury to a child and driving without privileges when Torres is sentenced for DUI.
Torres faces up to 15 years in prison for the aggravated DUI charge, and is set is to be sentenced on Jan. 25, according to the Minidoka County Prosecutor’s Office.
Under the plea agreement, prosecutors will request Torres be sentenced to four to six years of prison under a retained jurisdiction program — also known as a RIDER — that typically lasts 180 days. With successful completion of the program, prosecutors would request four years of probation for Torres rather than prison, according to the plea agreement.
The crash caused more than $20,000 in estimated damages, and also destroyed a fire hydrant and a power pole, according to the crash report.
According to the signed plea agreement filed with the court, prosecutors want Torres to pay the medical bills for his passengers, along with restitution to Harwood Insurance Agency, the city of Paul, residents of the damaged home and “any other person or entity who suffered physical or property damage as a result of defendant’s conduct.”
Torres is entitled to a hearing to determine the amount of damages, according to court records.
Torres, along with the baby, David V. Torres, and the infant’s 17-year-old mother, Gisela Arceo, were taken to Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center in Boise after the crash, though they have been released, according to family members.
Laurie Welch contributed to this report.
Andrea Jackson may be reached at ajackson@magicvalley.com or 208-735-3380.
Posted in Local on Wednesday, November 25, 2009 1:50 am Updated: 10:26 pm.
© Copyright 2010, Magicvalley.com, 132 Fairfield ST W Twin Falls, ID | Terms of Service and Privacy Policy