'Exonerated?' Archives

Oro Valley Police "Floored" by Blood Test Results in Fatal Motorcycle Crash; Case Dismissed Against Suspect Who Seemed Impaired

By Ray Stern Tue., Oct. 30 2012 at 3:22 PM

Francisco M. Villalpando, 44, killed a motorcyclist on August 21 when he failed to slow his pickup truck at a red light near Tucson. An officer suspected he was impaired on speed, but Villalpando's case was dismissed when a blood test came back negative.

Police believe Francisco Villalpando's pickup truck didn't even slow down before smashing into a motorcyclist waiting for a red light in a Tucson suburb on August 11.

John Kostelny, a 62-year-old motorcycle instructor, was crushed when the force of impact sent him careening into two other vehicles, and he later died of his wounds.

Villalpando, 44, who'd been driving on a suspended license, was uninjured in the crash. Officer Tim Nelson examined him for signs of impairment and noted "significant cues" of stimulant intoxication, such as high blood pressure, says Lieutenant Chris Olson, a special operations supervisor with the Oro Valley Police Department.

On August 21, Villalpando was indicated by a Pima County grand jury for 10 felony counts, including endangerment, aggravated DUI and criminal damage.

But when blood tests on Villalpando came back recently, they showed no evidence of any drug or alcohol in his system. On Friday, prosecutors dismissed their criminal case against Villalpando.

Tags:

amphetamine, arizona, arrest, case dismissed, dre, drug recognition, dui, francisco villalpando, john kostelny, motorcycle, oro valley, speed, stimulant, tucson

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Exonerated?

Paul Babeu and Ex-Boyfriend Jose Orozco Won't Be Charged With Crimes Related to Messy Break-Up

By Ray Stern Fri., Aug. 31 2012 at 11:54 AM

Categories: Exonerated?

Sheriff Paul Babeu and Jose Orozco won't face charges releated to their messy break-up, the AG's Office has decided.

Arizona Attorney General Tom Horne's office announced today that it won't file charges against Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu or his ex-lover, Jose Orozco, related to the pair's messy break-up.

As a bombshell Phoenix New Times article by Monica Alonzo revealed last year, Orozco -- who'd been employed by Babeu to help run his campaign's Web and Twitter sites -- accused the sheriff of threatening him with deportation. Babeu, in turn, claimed his former boyfriend had stolen his online identity and hacked into his Web sites without authorization.

Solicitor General Dave Cole, who oversaw the seven-month investigation into the allegations after Horne (a Republican, like Babeu) recused himself from the case, said in a statement that there was no evidence that the sheriff committed a crime. Cole said Oroszo potentially could be charged with harassment, but doing that would be "an inappropriate use of already-limited [prosecutorial] resources."

Orozco had claimed that Babeu threatened to have him deported after their break-up in September 2011 unless Orozco promised to keep their relationship a secret.