The San Diego Union-Tribune reports on a woman pleading not guilty to several charges after being charged with DUI while her children were in the car.
San Diego police say that 29-year-old Mayra Alejandra Troncoso was driving was driving a 2015 Chevrolet Suburban east in the westbound lanes of Camino del Norte at 4:30 a.m. last Monday. She crashed into a 2011 Jeep Liberty.
At the time of the crash, Troncoso’s children, ages 9-months, 2-years, and 8-years-old were in the vehicle with Troncoso. The baby was not properly restrained in either a car set or using a seatbelt. The baby suffered serious injuries in the crash.
At the time of the crash, police allege that Troncoso’s blood-alcohol content was higher than .20 percent.
This is not Troncoso’s first DUI. She was convicted of DUI in 2017 from charges that stemmed from a May 2016 incident.
On Monday, just a week after the November 12th crash, Troncoso, who is now going by Mayra Alejandra Gonzalez, pleaded not guilty to six charges. Three of those charges involved felony child abuse.
Troncoso is being held in lieu of $700,000 bail. A judge also issued a protection order preventing Troncoso from having any contact with her children.
California has certain laws which can enhance the sentences of DUI convictions. Sentence enhancements can have wide-ranging effects, not the least of which is added jail time, which could end up being served in state prison for sentences that last longer than a year. The fines and court fees can end up being substantially higher, along with the potential for having to pay for a longer DUI school and pay to have an ignition interlock device installed. Even having minors in your vehicle while committing a DUI can lead to a sentence enhancement, and for the purposes of California law, a “minor” is anyone under the age of 14.
