Probation given in fatal DUI case

Monday, Dec. 23, 2002 | 9:42 a.m.

A local man whose drunken driving caused an accident that killed his passenger was placed on probation Friday.

District Judge Lee Gates sentenced Douglas Fernando Romandeleon, 32, to one to two years in prison but suspended the sentence and placed Romandeleon on probation for a period not to exceed five years.

Romandeleon pleaded guilty to one felony count of involuntary manslaughter as the result of a plea agreement.

In exchange for his guilty plea, prosecutors dismissed a felony charge of driving under the influence of alcohol, Chief Deputy District Attorney Gary Booker said.

Nevada Highway Patrol officers on Sept. 27 said they received phone calls from motorists saying Romandeleon was speeding and driving recklessly on Interstate 15.

The Toyota that Romandeleon was driving collided with a street sign, Booker said.

When officers caught up with Romandeleon, he had pulled over to the side of the road. His passenger, Alejandro Garcia-Barrasas, was dead.

Romandeleon had a blood alcohol level of 0.18, Booker said. Garcia-Barrasas, who is believed to have been a relative, had a blood alcohol level of 0.15. Motorists with a blood alcohol level of 0.10 or higher are considered intoxicated.

Booker said he was willing to dismiss the second charge because the two were relatives, they were both intoxicated and the two men appeared to have been struggling over the steering wheel.