Pomona Police Sergeant Suspected of DUI Hit-and-Run in Chino, BAC Nearly Four Times Limit

A Pomona police sergeant has been identified as the suspect in a DUI hit-and-run crash in Chino that injured a motorist. His blood-alcohol level was recorded at 0.299.

Pomona sergeant named as DUI hit-and-run suspect after Chino crash

A Pomona Police Department sergeant has been identified as the suspected driver in a hit-and-run collision in Chino that left another motorist injured, abc7.com reports. The incident took place on 26 July at approximately 8:15 p.m. on Monte Vista Avenue.

Authorities named the suspect as Richard Aguiar, a sergeant assigned to the Detective Bureau at the Pomona Police Department. According to the police report, Aguiar was travelling southbound at around 75 mph in a 40-mph zone when he sideswiped another vehicle. He had already struck a separate vehicle and fled that scene before colliding with the car driven by Kaya Weingartner.

The impact sent Weingartner's vehicle into a tree; Aguiar's truck also struck a tree.

"I just remember driving and looking up in my rearview mirror and just seeing like bright LED lights. And it was like the realisation that I was going to get hit," Weingartner said.

A blood-alcohol test placed Aguiar's BAC at 0.299 — nearly four times California's legal limit of 0.08. Investigators also recovered a loaded .357 Magnum handgun from the floor of his truck.

Weingartner said her injuries were not severe, but that she continues to experience pain months after the crash. "I've been going to a chiropractor three times a week and I might start physical therapy for my knee because I'm unable to really run and jump," she said.

Her uncle, Troy Tinnes, said the family's reaction sharpened once they learned the suspected driver held a supervisory rank in law enforcement. "When we found out it was law enforcement, especially a sergeant, it was almost shocking. Because at that moment, you had someone that knew better," Tinnes said.

The Pomona Police Department issued a statement saying the matter is being handled by its Internal Affairs Bureau and citing state privacy law as the reason it would not comment further on personnel matters.

Chino police confirmed the case has been submitted to the San Bernardino County District Attorney's Office for consideration of potential criminal charges.

Source: Google News MT — Crime (en)