A defendant facing multiple counts of DUI Manslaughter in Miami has requested to be segregated from other inmates after being beaten in jail, CBS4 reported.
Gabriel Delrisco, 40, requested the judge order him moved to a private cell at a court hearing on Wednesday. He is facing three counts of DUI manslaughter with culpable negligence and one count of battery on an emergency medical care provider. DUI manslaughter in Florida is a second-degree felony carrying a penalty of up to 15 years in prison and a $10,000 fine.
Authorities say he was driving drunk when his Chevy Trailblazer SUV slammed into the back of a minivan stopped at a red light on US-1 at SW 211th Street. Three children in the van -- ages 10,7 and 4 -- died in the crash. Investigators report that Delrisco's blood-alcohol level was .239, nearly three times the legal threshold of .08 for drunk driving in Florida.
The Florida Highway Patrol reports that Delrisco has a long list of traffic violations, including 26 traffic infractions and a previous conviction for DUI in 2001, for which his license was suspended for six months.
In 2008, a total of 1,169 people died in alcohol-related traffic accidents in Florida, accounting for about one-third of the 2,983 traffic fatalities reported statewide, according to the Florida Department of Public Safety.
