Porterville DUI hit and run suspect charged, to be released from jail

TULARE COUNTY, Calif. (KFSN) -- Geronimo Gonzalez, also known as Bubba, has always been strong, fast, and talented on the dance floor.

"Our family would just get up and start dancing," said Gonzalez's sister Alexis Franklin. "I mean man, the guy can move, he has rhythm.

But now, Gonzalez is without legs, fighting for his life in a Fresno hospital room.

Early last Friday morning, a BMW, seen on this home surveillance video, blew a stop sign and careened down a dirt driveway, plowing into Gonzalez as he worked on his truck.

Both of his legs were severed upon impact.

He also suffered several other serious injuries, including bleeding in the brain and a tear to his aorta.

The Tulare County District Attorney's Office has charged the alleged DUI driver, Mohamed Mohamed, with four felonies, including DUI causing injury and hit and run resulting in serious injury.

"I honestly don't want this man to get out and hurt somebody else," Franklin said. "They don't need to go through what we're going through. It's not fair, it hurts."

But at his arraignment on Tuesday, a judge said he would release Mohamed from jail.

While he's out, he won't be able to have or use alcohol and will be required to wear a transdermal alcohol device.

Prior to last week's wreck, Mohamed was charged with a DUI just last month.

Gonzalez's sister says the maximum punishment for Mohamed will never be enough for the pain he's caused her younger brother and their entire family.

She says her brother will have a lifetime of trials.

"He's been strong his whole life," Franklin said. "I'm hoping that he knows that his life is worth everything to everyone and to himself and that he realizes that this is just a piece of him and we have the rest."

Gonzalez has undergone several surgeries already.

And on Tuesday, he briefly woke up, long enough for his mother to kiss him, and tell him she loves him.

Mohamed will have to report to the probation department in Visalia tomorrow.

He'll be back in court in Porterville next week. He faces more than 11 years in prison if convicted of the charges.