Man gets 3-day prison term for DUI, hitting pedestrian

The driver of a pickup truck that hit and seriously injured a man who was crossing Isa Drive in San Vicente last March pleaded guilty yesterday to driving under the influence of alcohol and was slapped with a three-day prison term.

Superior Court Associate Judge Joseph N. Camacho sentenced Rainaldo Santos Agulto to 30 days in prison, all suspended except for three days. Agulto, 52, was given credit for 12 hours.

He was ordered to start serving his sentence today, Friday, at 8am.

Agulto was ordered to pay a $1,000 fine, $100 probation fee, and $25 in court assessment fee. His driver’s license was suspended for 30 days.

After serving his sentence, he will be on probation for oneyear. He was required to perform 50 hours of community service and pay restitution to the victim for medical expenses.

Agulto had a blood alcohol content of .167 when the incident happened on March 1, 2015, at 8:01pm. The legal BAC limit is .08.

Government prosecutors had recommended a sentence of one year in prison—the maximum end of the sentencing range.

Assistant attorney general Emily Cohen said that Agulto’s disrespect for the safety of other persons on the road and the seriousness of the victim’s injuries demands that the sentence must reflect the serious consequences of his actions.

Agulto was driving along Isa Drive after attending a family barbecue when his truck hit Manuel Camacho. The victim sustained serious injuries, including damage to the brain, Cohen said.

The prosecutor said the hospital records state that the victim is “now dealing with a traumatic brain injury and probable long-term frontal lobe effects.”

“Mr. Camacho’s life will never be the same because Mr. Agulto chose to drive that night,” Cohen said.

At yesterday’s hearing, however, the victim himself testified in support for a lenient sentence. He stated, among other things, that he and his family have already forgiven Agulto.

Several lawyers also testified, attesting to Agulto’s good behavior and professional work as a process server, among other things.

In his statement, Agulto begged the court for forgiveness and leniency.

“I am a changed person. My relationship with Mr. Camacho has changed, and I will strive to be a better citizen, friend, father, and grandfather, despite the heavy emotional burden I will carry as a consequence of the accident,” he said.

The victim is Agulto’s wife’s second cousin.
Agulto admitted drinking between 32 and 38 cans of beer in a three-day period from Feb. 27 to March 1. Agulto was driving his truck on his way home to Capital Hill when he accidentally struck Camacho at the traffic light near the San Vicente Church.

Agulto said the following day after he was released from jail, he and his family went to the hospital to check on Camacho, who at that time was in the intensive care unit.

Agulto said Camacho’s siblings and other family members were in the hospital.
“I sincerely apologized to them and asked them to forgive me because it was an accident,” he said.