FOLLOWUP: Felony charges, six-figure bail for repeat DUI driver arrested after hit-run sent teen to hospital

That was the scene on Monday along SW Thistle by Chief Sealth International High School, after a hit-run driver struck a 16-year-old student, sending him to the hospital (WSB coverage here). At least one witness got a license-plate number that led police to Top Hat, where they arrested 29-year-old Carlos M. Villalovos on suspicion of DUI and hit-run. He’s been in jail ever since, and today the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office filed felony charges of vehicular assault, hit and run, and reckless driving. His bail is set at $302,000.

This isn’t Villalovos’s first DUI arrest, according to online records and the charging documents, which list one case in 2008 and two in 2016. In yet other traffic stops, prosecutors say, he was cited for violations including cell-phone use while driving, not having insurance, and driving with a suspended license. He also was found guilty last year of attempted vehicle trespass after a Burien incident in which he was described as acting aggressively, while intoxicated, toward a couple whose car he kept trying to get into. At the time of this week’s arrest, prosecutors say, warrants were out for Villalovos, related to his failure to appear for separate hearings last month in two prior DUI cases. Prosecutors called Villalovos “a grave danger to the community,” saying he’s apparently been through substance-abuse treatment and a “victim impact panel” yet refuses to stop driving while impaired.

On Monday, the probable-cause document says, when officers found Villalovos’s car before finding him, bottles of beer and hard lemonade were in clear evidence. His Honda CR-V also was reported to have damage consistent with what would have happened when the victim – who is reported to have suffered a broken pelvis – was hit. Police say Villalovos blew .16 – twice the legal threshold for DUI – three hours after the crash. We’ve looked up records from his past cases; in one of them, he was described as having blown .19. In another, when he was found driving without the ignition interlock he was under orders to use, he told officers he just used a screwdriver to start his car. His arraignment is set for May 15th.

Mj May 2, 2019 (6:24 pm)

Hopefully the youth that got hit recovers fully, youth has advantages. And in an equitable fair society the person who was responsible will be required to pay all medical costs AND be locked up for a good long time. AND when they get released not be allowed to operate a motor vehicle for many more years.

KM May 2, 2019 (7:48 pm)

It’s so hard to keep people from operating motor vehicles. Releasing repeat offenders really isn’t working, but I’m not sure what the solution is.
- heartless May 2, 2019 (8:30 pm)
  
  Yeah, it’s hard.
  
  Wet houses are relatively effective, and perhaps the best combination of treating people humanely, reducing extraordinarily severe alcoholism (and the corollary of driving drunk), and saving money (taxpayer, government, whatever you want to call it).
  
  https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19336710
  - Swede. May 2, 2019 (9:55 pm)
    
    Wouldn’t being in jail, not having access to alcohol, for many years clear up a drinking problem?
    - AT May 3, 2019 (6:14 am)
      
      No, ever heard of prison hooch? You just need a little fruit or sugar to ferment and alcohol is easy to make. Where there’s a will, there’s a way.
    - Jane May 3, 2019 (7:51 am)
      
      Being in prison does not stop them from having access to alcohol, they can make their own in there. As for being incarcerated it sometimes make them a worse individual once out, I know from experience from a bad choice of a boyfriend back in the 70’s!Happy to see the dollar amount of his bail!!!
    - heartless May 3, 2019 (8:00 am)
      
      I’m not sure that would “clear up” a drinking problem, no. Being away from alcohol doesn’t mean you’ve stopped being an alcoholic. Just because someone is unable to drink in jail (which itself isn’t guaranteed) doesn’t mean they’ll not drink when they get out.
    - Alex S. May 3, 2019 (12:40 pm)
      
      In a city, county and state that refuses to confiscate the vehicles these repeat offenders continue to use to kill people – or their drivers licenses – jail really is the only thing that protects us. This repeat offender was also charged with driving drunk with an interlock device, proving just how useless those things are. People like this should be forced to give up their “right to drive” the same way felons lose their right to own guns.
- Lisab May 2, 2019 (10:49 pm)
  
  KM, you don’t think maybe a very long jail term might be the solution??.
  - KM May 3, 2019 (7:13 am)
    
    Our jails appear to be overcrowded. I don’t think building new jails to house repeat offender drunk drivers is going to happen.
    - newnative May 3, 2019 (10:47 am)
      
      This guy’s record encompasses a lot more than DUI, he shouldn’t have been behind the wheel under any circumstances.
    - WW Resident May 3, 2019 (10:57 am)
      
      Overcrowded? Is that why just recently the city was thinking of using an entire empty wing (that’s been that way for some time now) of one of our jails for the homeless?
    - KM May 3, 2019 (11:54 am)
      
      I agree, New Native, completely. I just don’t think jailing all repeat DUI offenders is plausible, even if we all agree it’s warranted.

Sarah May 2, 2019 (8:27 pm)

It is a shame that it took yet ANOTHER incident – this time striking and injuring a child – to FINALLY get this guy the justice he deserves (hopefully). It should not take this many arrests to realize that someone is a great danger to others.

TJ May 2, 2019 (8:35 pm)

He absolutely should be responsible for 100% of the medical costs, and a normal insurance policy would cover it. He already has been cited for driving without insurance, and I can guarantee he doesn’t have it now. So that leaves a civil suit, but our system has no teeth nor the will to force him to actually pay it off in a timely manner. And as far as prison time, even with his past he won’t do more than 6 months of actual time at best, and that would be more for hit and run than DUI.

WSB May 2, 2019 (9:52 pm)

Well, in terms of punishment, we won’t know until it plays out.
But unrelated news coverage recently is a reminder that our state’s DUI law is rather shocking.
It’s not a felony DUI unless it’s your fourth (or more) offense in 10 years.
https://apps.leg.wa.gov/rcw/default.aspx?cite=46.61.502
And while I didn’t get into it as the story was already running long .. the charging papers in this case even point that out – saying, italics! – “He is not a felony DUI by 10 months.” (The time between that 2008 DUI and this alleged one, 10 years and 10 months.)
- West Seattle Hipster May 3, 2019 (7:13 am)
  
  I don’t believe our lax laws are at all “shocking” these days, it’s become the norm.
- CAM May 3, 2019 (8:21 am)
  
  Just checking but my original read on the information above was that he was not charged with a DUI for the current alleged offenses. It is not listed amongst the charges filed but it is cited that he has 2 outstanding DUI cases from 3 years ago. Is that an error?
  - WSB May 3, 2019 (9:57 am)
    
    He can’t be charged with felony DUI because it wouldn’t qualify under state law. The charge of vehicular assault incorporates the alleged intoxication. But the docket suggests the city has cited him for misdemeanor DUI, in addition to the county-filed charges.
Brian May 2, 2019 (11:30 pm)

Nah, the state is responsible for the medical. Or it should be at least.

anonyme May 3, 2019 (6:05 am)

The “state” means taxpayers. I see no reason why taxpayers should be responsible for the criminal acts of one individual.

West Seattle Hipster May 3, 2019 (7:16 am)

As the grandparent of a Chief Sealth “scholar” I find it troubling that the school did not notify parents or students about this incident.

Jane May 3, 2019 (10:18 am)

Why would they, he was not on school property and or was/is “your” child. Yes it is a shame this happened but if not your child they had no reason to let you know.
- West Seattle Hipster May 3, 2019 (1:47 pm)
  
  As a grandparent (please read the comments thoroughly before commenting) of a child at Sealth, I would hope that they would notify at least the other scholars so they can be aware of their surroundings. If it wasn’t for the WSB I never would have known about this crime.
  - Jane May 3, 2019 (2:20 pm)
    
    Oh, you are the Grand Parent of the child “struck” by this car? You are not and I read the comment thoroughly and I don’t think all Parents and or Grand Parents of kids that attend Sealth needed to know that this happened immediately, it’s not like the person in this car was going to go around and look for kids to hit…least I hope not. And yes I do agree the WSB is a very good source for “things” happening in the local area and I applaud them for their great work!
    - WSB May 3, 2019 (2:35 pm)
      
      It’s an interesting question regarding what gets letters home and what didn’t. More often it seems to be “your child may mention this to you so …” I don’t have any idea how much word of the crash off-campus got around on campus. Can’t recall ever hearing of a note sent home because of an incident like this, criminal or not.

Sorry, comment time is over.