| For Immediate Release Case # 10CM02578
|
ORANGE COUNTY SHERIFF’S DEPUTY CONVICTED OF DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF ALCOHOL
AFTER DRIVING OVER FRONT LAWN AND
CRASHING INTO PLANTER
SANTA ANA – A deputy with the Orange County Sheriff’s Department was convicted today of driving under the influence of alcohol after losing control of his car and crashing into a planter in the front yard of a Villa Park home. Mark Wayne Hewlett, 30, Orange, pleaded guilty to a court offer to one misdemeanor count each of driving under the influence of alcohol, driving with a blood alcohol level over .08 percent, and possession of a controlled substance without a prescription. Hewlett was sentenced to the mandatory minimum terms for the driving under the influence conviction, including being ordered to pay restitution and attend mandatory drug and alcohol rehabilitation classes. As to the drug charges, the defendant will be allowed to attend and complete drug diversion classes. The law stipulates that upon Hewlett’s completion of the required drug classes his misdemeanor for possession of a controlled substance without a prescription will be dismissed.
Early in the morning on Dec. 13, 2009, Hewlett drove home from a friend’s house while intoxicated after consuming several alcoholic beverages. At approximately 1:45 a.m., the defendant lost control of his vehicle in Villa Park, drove up over the curb and across the grass, and crashed into a planter in the front yard of a home. The residence is the home of Orange County Supervisor Bill Campbell.
A passing teenage motorist contacted his father, who called 911. When police arrived, Hewlett displayed objective signs of intoxication including emitting a strong odor of alcohol, having watery eyes, and a lack of balance. At approximately 3:30 a.m., an hour and 45 minutes after the crash, Hewlett had a blood alcohol level of .13 percent.
At the time of his arrest, Hewlett was in possession of a controlled substance, Xanax, for which he does not have a prescription.
Deputy District Attorney Brock Zimmon of the Special Prosecutions Unit prosecuted this case.
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