Rochester Repeat DWI Offender Sentenced For Latest Conviction

Rochester, MN (KROC-AM News) - A Rochester man with a history of drunk driving offenses was sentenced today for his latest conviction, which involved a near collision with a police squad car while he was driving in the wrong direction on a busy Rochester roadway.

The criminal complaint filed against 77-year-old Leonel Lozano Garcia says he was arrested a little over a year ago after he was spotted driving west in the eastbound lanes of Civic Center Drive. The charges stated the arresting officer spotted him near the intersection with First Avenue Northwest on the edge of downtown Rochester.

The court document describes how the officer was forced to slow to a near stop to avoid a head-on collision despite the squad vehicle's emergency lights and sirens being activated. The criminal complaint says Garcia then drove over the median on Civic Center Drive to return to the westbound lanes before he was stopped several blocks away.

The charges alleged the officer detected the odor of an alcoholic beverage when he approached the vehicle and found a two thirds full open wine bottle on the front passenger seat. The court record says Garcia told the officer that he had consumed three beers.

A preliminary breath test conducted at the scene measured his blood-alcohol-concentration at more than .27, which is more than three times above the legal limit. Another breath test performed after his arrival at the Olmsted County jail put his BAC at .26.

Garcia entered into a plea agreement in May and admitted to a gross misdemeanor DWI charge. In exchange, a second gross misdemeanor DWI charge and a misdemeanor count of careless driving were dismissed.

He was sentenced today to 30 days in jail with credit for the four days he was in jail following his arrest. He was also placed on probation for the next three years.

Court records show there was his third DWI arrest in just the past three years. He was convicted of misdemeanor DWI following traffic stops in Olmsted County in 2015 and Fillmore County in 2020.

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