Here’s a roundup of recent incidents and announcements from Ventura County agencies:
DUI driver sentenced
A man was sentenced last week for a 2021 DUI crash in Oxnard that killed one of his passengers and left two others with major injuries.
Nathaniel Wills, 36, of Los Angeles was sentenced Jan. 8 to 15 years and five months in state prison for gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated and two counts involving alcohol-related DUI causing injury. He had pleaded guilty to the three felonies on Nov. 15 and also admitted to 17 special allegations that bring heavier sentences, including having prior DUI convictions.
Prior to November’s plea agreement, a jury in September had found Wills guilty of driving on a suspended license for prior DUI convictions but had deadlocked on all other counts, including a murder charge, the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office said in a news release.
The single-car crash took place in Oxnard on Jan. 27, 2021. Wills had been driving a 2004 Kia Rio on North Rose Avenue and Cesar Chavez Drive at a high rate of speed when he crashed into a large tree stump.
This was the scene after a 2004 Kia Rio crashed into a tree, killing one passenger and injuring three others in Oxnard on Wednesday morning, Jan. 27, 2021.
One of his passengers, 71-year-old Leon Parks Jr. of Oxnard, was thrown from the car and died at the scene. Two other passengers suffered critical injuries.
Prosecutors said Wills had four prior DUI convictions where he was given a warning, known as the Watson advisement, that lets California drivers convicted of DUI know they can be charged with murder if they drive under the influence again and someone is killed.
“This was a preventable tragedy. Wills knew that his conduct was dangerous and continued to drive impaired, resulting in the death of Leon Parks and injuring his other passengers,” said Deputy DA Jillian Ewan in a statement.
Domestic dispute in Port Hueneme leads to arrest
A man was arrested on suspicion of domestic battery, firearms offenses and other crimes in Port Hueneme Saturday, authorities said.
The Port Hueneme Police Department responded shortly before 3:30 p.m. to the 400 block of Florence Avenue about a domestic dispute in a vehicle. The man was possibly armed with a gun and was threatening a woman, according to a department news release.
Officers found the 27-year-old Oxnard man a woman at the scene along with a handgun. Officers arrested the man, who was subsequently charged by the District Attorney’s Office with felony domestic battery, criminal threats and firearm possession by a felon, among other crimes. He pleaded not guilty to all charges Tuesday.
The man remained at Ventura County’s main jail Tuesday in lieu of $100,000 with a court appearance scheduled for Jan. 24, jail and court records show.
Ernesto Centeno Araujo covers breaking news for the Ventura County Star. He can be reached at ecentenoaraujo@vcstar.com.
This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Roundup: Man sentenced for fatal 2021 DUI crash in Oxnard, more news