Denver man gets 4 years community corrections for seventh DUI
EAGLE — A Denver man arrested for his seventh DUI after police saw him driving the wrong way on an Interstate 70 on-ramp and the wrong way through a roundabout in Avon was sentenced to four years of community corrections Tuesday.
David L. Castorena, 53, who reportedly did not have a driver’s license at the time, pleaded guilty to a charge of DUI with three-plus priors for the October 2018 incident.
“This was a very dangerous situation,” Deputy District Attorney Amy Padden told the court.
Castorena’s attorney, Deputy Public Defender Kevin Jensen, told the court that “this is a last chance if I’ve ever seen one, and I believe Mr. Castorena is fully aware of that as well.”
“If he is unsuccessful, god forbid he is in another situation where additional DUI charges are filed. I have no doubt in my mind it’s a one-way stop to (Colorado Department of Corrections) for a lengthy amount of time,” Jensen said.
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At the sentencing hearing Tuesday, Castorena told the court he knows he made a bad mistake that evening, stopping at a liquor store while he and his fiancee were visiting a timeshare property in Eagle County.
“I just wanted to say sorry. I made a bad choice again,” Castorena said.
Judge Paul R. Dunkelman agreed, but told Castorena that this was his seventh DUI, and something that goes well beyond any one individual bad choice.
“I agree this is an underlying alcohol issue, but a lot of people with alcohol issues don’t get behind the wheel and drive,“ Dunkelman said, adding that he struggled with the community corrections sentence even with two attorneys telling him it was the right thing to do, noting that Castorena has failed on probation and parole before.
Dunkelman also imposed a six-year state prison sentence, but suspended it, pending Castorena’s successful completion of treatment and community corrections.
“You’re getting a chance at community corrections, but that’s the chance you get,” he said.
Castorena was also recently sentenced to 30 months of community corrections after pleading guilty to a felony menacing charge in Jefferson County.
Tom Lotshaw can be reached at tlotshaw@vaildaily.com.
