Man appears in court for drunk driving crash that killed 17-year-old boy

FRESNO COUNTY, Calif. (KFSN) -- A repeat DUI offender is now facing the chance of becoming a convicted killer.

Daniel Lemus sat shackled in a red jumpsuit for his first court appearance Monday.

Investigators say Lemus was driving drunk when he hit a car at a red light at Manning and Mendocino on November 7.

He then sped off, striking another car and killing the 17-year-old driver inside.

Advocates against drunk driving are now expressing their outrage that Lemus was back behind the wheel in the first place.

"To have someone back out on the road right after having killed someone, and then to kill someone again, it's a giant failure of our society," said Tara Repka Flores.

Repka Flores joined Mothers Against Drunk Driving after her own 13-year-old son was killed in 2019, and now fights to prevent tragedies like her own.

"Someone took something from me. They took my son's life from him. It changes over time, but it never goes away," she said.

In 2019, Lemus was involved in another crash that killed an 8-year-old boy.

He would be convicted of vehicular manslaughter two years later.

Repka Flores is now urging prosecutors to take appropriate action, saying, "Hold our judicial system, our legislatures accountable, for doing the right thing, for having the right consequences, for putting people in jail when they've killed someone."

In California, convicted DUI offenders are given a Watson advisement, a formal warning that if someone is killed as a result of impaired driving, they'll be charged with murder.

Action News Legal Analyst Tony Capozzi tells us this will play a critical role in the prosecution's approach.

"Someone has advised that, is told about that danger and you still go out and do this. That means you knew by going out and driving under the influence, you could kill someone. You could be charged with murder," Capozzi explained.

Capozzi adds that Lemus's participation in rehabilitation programs could also be a factor, but ultimately outweighed by the great loss caused by his actions.

"Many people suffer in this case, but there are two lives that have been lost because of this particular person," Capozzi said. "Something needs to be done. Is putting him away the answer? That remains to be seen."

Lemus was set to be arraigned Monday, but at the defense's request, he will return to court for his arraignment next week.

His bail is set at $1,616,300.

If convicted, Lemus will face 15 years to life in prison.