Suspect in fatal DUI crash in Fresno County could face murder charge due to prior incidents

FRESNO COUNTY, Calif. (KFSN) -- Just days earlier a deadly DUI clang successful Fresno County implicit the weekend, the antheral down the instrumentality was ordered by a justice to enactment distant from intoxicant and disconnected the road.

That driver, Ryan Trevino, could present walk decades successful prison.

For the 4th time, 35-year-old Trevino could beryllium charged with driving nether the influence, but this time, the charges could besides see murder.

California Highway Patrol officers said Trevino was driving drunk successful a bluish Chevy Silverado westbound connected Millerton Road adjacent Marina Drive Saturday day erstwhile helium slammed head-on into a achromatic Toyota Tundra.

Officers said that Tundra carried 78-year-old John Tarter and a passenger. Tarter died earlier helium could beryllium flown to a hospital.

His rider and Trevino were some hospitalized with large injuries. Trevino underwent country Sunday night.

Even erstwhile helium is discharged, helium won't beryllium headed home. This is the 2nd clip successful a substance of months helium faces DUI charges.

In October, helium was booked successful jailhouse for driving nether the influence.

He had appeared successful tribunal for that lawsuit conscionable 4 days earlier the deadly crash.

On January 9th, helium was ordered by a justice to enactment disconnected the roads and distant from intoxicant and past released connected his ain recognizance.

A petition by prosecutors to marque Trevino be Alcoholics Anonymous was denied by the judge. He's owed backmost successful tribunal connected that lawsuit successful March.

Twice earlier Trevino pleaded nary contention to DUI charges successful some 2007 and 2018, he's besides been charged respective times for driving without a license.

It's the past DUI charges that could pb the territory lawyer to complaint him with execution for Tarter's death.

"The information that it was truthful adjacent successful clip erstwhile he's warned not to beryllium driving a conveyance nether immoderate circumstances, and yet helium does," said ABC30 Legal Expert Tony Capozzi. "That beauteous overmuch shows the wide wanton and conscious disregard for the instrumentality and for someone's life."

If convicted connected a execution charge, Trevino could beryllium sentenced to 25 years to beingness successful prison. Capozzi said helium would apt service astir of that sentence.

"In a superior transgression similar this, the astir you're going to get disconnected your condemnation for bully behaviour is 15%, truthful possibly a twelvemonth early, a twelvemonth and a fractional earlier, that's astir it," said Capozzi. "You're going to beryllium doing a important magnitude of clip incarcerated."

Capozzi said it is precise improbable Trevino would beryllium released connected bail again.

John Michael Tarter was known to loved ones arsenic Mike.

His son, John Tarter, sent a connection to Action News astir his father, writing:

"My father, John Michael Tarter, volition beryllium missed by many. Mike Tarter is an Air Force seasoned and a retired teacher. He has provided worth to many. This is simply a tragic nonaccomplishment of beingness that should not person happened, and we are confused wherefore a idiosyncratic with Ryan Trevino's grounds could inactive beryllium allowed to thrust successful California and bargain a life. I privation we had much time. This is tragic, and things request to change."

His grandson, Troy Tarter, besides released a statement:

"I loved my grandpa. I cognize he's successful a amended place, but I privation helium was inactive present with us. If helium was, we would person truthful overmuch to speech about, but that isn't imaginable anymore. He made a affirmative interaction successful truthful galore ways and was loved by many. It truly is simply a calamity that he's gone. Tell your household and friends you emotion them portion you tin due to the fact that you ne'er cognize erstwhile they volition beryllium taken from you. And I can't accidental this enough, but delight bash not portion and drive."

He leaves down his wife, Aorakan Tarter, son, John James, grandson, Troy James, and brother, Tim Tarter.

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