Daniel Mena was driving his pick-up truck the wrong-way when he struck Brenda Moreno’s vehicle in a head-on crash. His blood-alcohol content has been nearly 3 times the legal limit.
HOUSTON — A Houston man was sentenced to 15 years in prison for driving drunk and killing a mom headed home from her own birthday celebration.
Daniel Armando Mena, 22, was detained following a five-day trial. Along with the 15 decades, he had been fined $10,000.
The jurors were informed how Mena abandoned Diablo Loco Sports Bar, at about 2 a.m., after a long-day of drinking. Security cameras showed him inside the pub mocking make-believe field -sobriety tests and wobbling near pool tables.
Authorities said Mena was driving his pick-up truck that the wrong-way when he struck Brenda Moreno’s car in a head-on collision. The Harris County District Attorney’s Office said Mena’s blood-alcohol content was almost three times the legal limit.
Morena expired on the scene. Mena was uninjured.
“Brenda should be raising her young sons, not buried by them,” Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg explained. “Daniel Mena chose to drink and then drive until he can kill an innocent mother in a wrong way mess,” Ogg continued. “Society will be safe from him while he serves his 15 decades.”
Morena was on her way home from an office party before the wreck.
During the trail, her husband, Ignacio Moreno, testified he waited to the early morning hours for his wife to return home. According to HCDAO, he left their boys using their grandma and drove along her expected route to search for her. He afterwards discovered Bellaire Police in the crash scene.
Mena had a DWI charge pending in the time of this crash. Jurors were told in court that he had duped authorities, so he would keep drinking and driving.
He lied by saying he no longer drove his truck so that he could possess a court-ordered ignition interlock device installed on another vehicle, which he didn’t use.
“This tragic loss of a beautiful wife and mom might have and should have been averted,” said prosecutor Lynn Nguyen. “Daniel Mena is completely accountable for robbing the Moreno family of Brenda, and I hope he spends each day of his sentence thinking about that.