Gabriel Garcia walked out of the Fresno County courthouse on crutches Friday.
Acquaintances say he is nonetheless nursing an harm from the day in December 2019 when he allegedly obtained drunk, hopped on his horse, rode into site visitors and obtained the horse killed.
Garcia is in court docket as a result of he is charged with DUI and animal cruelty.
“I feel the entire thing is absolutely uncommon, in fact, driving a horse and so they get you for a DUI,” mentioned authorized analyst Ralph Torres. “The cruelty to the animal, I can see that just because you place the animal in a nasty spot.”
Court docket paperwork reveal the 51-year-old informed some folks he thought drivers went too quick on North Ave.
The answer he got here up with was to journey his black horse onto the street on a really darkish evening.
One automotive slowed down for him, however the subsequent driver informed police he by no means noticed the horse or Garcia till he hit them on the intersection of North and Peach.
One witness informed Motion Information the horse primarily exploded. He thought Garcia was useless, too, however the rider survived with a damaged leg and went to Neighborhood Regional Medical Middle for remedy.
His blood alcohol content material on the time measured at the least .16%, twice the authorized restrict for drivers.
However was he a driver?
Torres says a protection legal professional may argue he wasn’t.
“A horse shouldn’t be a car,” he mentioned a protection legal professional might declare. “It is not a motorized vehicle, so how does driving a horse imply you are driving a car?”
California regulation does require folks driving animals to observe the foundations of the street, and CHP officers say that features ingesting and driving legal guidelines.
Torres says Garcia clearly put drivers and the horse in danger, however he wonders how severe the crime actually is.
“This isn’t the kind of case the place you saddle somebody with a felony crime,” he mentioned. “It is a disgrace the animal was misplaced, however at most it is a misdemeanor.”
The county put in a four-way cease at North and Peach not lengthy after the collision.
Attorneys could also be near understanding a deal within the case however for now, Garcia is due again in court docket subsequent month.
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