Houston Man Arrested for DWI with 3-Year-Old in Car Has Two Previous Charges
A 43-year-old Houston man is facing his third Driving While Intoxicated (DWI) charge, this time with a child passenger in the vehicle. Jose Orellana's previous charges were upgraded to note that he had driven drunk twice before.
According to court records, Orellana was pulled over by law enforcement on Monday for dangerous driving while traveling on the West Sam Houston tollway near the Katy Freeway. He appeared intoxicated and had an open container of alcohol in plain view. When officers arrested him, they found a three-year-old child unrestrained in the car.
Orellana's previous DWI charges were from 2020 and 2021, just four months after his first offense. Despite being given an interlock device to prevent further drinking and driving, he continued to flout the conditions of his probation. His latest charge is a serious one, with prosecutors warning that getting behind the wheel drunk puts everyone's life at risk.
"This case is avoidable," said Whitney Rasberry, division chief of vehicular crimes for the Harris County District Attorney's office. "With ride-sharing apps and other options available, there's no reason to get behind the wheel intoxicated."
Orellana pleaded guilty to his previous charges but was given lenient sentences. He spent only a few days in jail and completed his probation before being arrested again.
The child in this latest case is safe and sound with their mother, who will not face any charges. However, prosecutors are urging caution when it comes to DWI cases, emphasizing that even those on probation can reoffend if not given enough consequences.
"The fact that he had a history of DWIs before doesn't change the gravity of this situation," said Rasberry. "Probation can be beneficial for some, but in the case of someone who has already proven they're willing to drive drunk multiple times, it's just not doing enough to stop them."
The magistrate in Orellana's case ruled that he would have to wait for a judge to decide whether he would get bond this time.
A 43-year-old Houston man is facing his third Driving While Intoxicated (DWI) charge, this time with a child passenger in the vehicle. Jose Orellana's previous charges were upgraded to note that he had driven drunk twice before.
According to court records, Orellana was pulled over by law enforcement on Monday for dangerous driving while traveling on the West Sam Houston tollway near the Katy Freeway. He appeared intoxicated and had an open container of alcohol in plain view. When officers arrested him, they found a three-year-old child unrestrained in the car.
Orellana's previous DWI charges were from 2020 and 2021, just four months after his first offense. Despite being given an interlock device to prevent further drinking and driving, he continued to flout the conditions of his probation. His latest charge is a serious one, with prosecutors warning that getting behind the wheel drunk puts everyone's life at risk.
"This case is avoidable," said Whitney Rasberry, division chief of vehicular crimes for the Harris County District Attorney's office. "With ride-sharing apps and other options available, there's no reason to get behind the wheel intoxicated."
Orellana pleaded guilty to his previous charges but was given lenient sentences. He spent only a few days in jail and completed his probation before being arrested again.
The child in this latest case is safe and sound with their mother, who will not face any charges. However, prosecutors are urging caution when it comes to DWI cases, emphasizing that even those on probation can reoffend if not given enough consequences.
"The fact that he had a history of DWIs before doesn't change the gravity of this situation," said Rasberry. "Probation can be beneficial for some, but in the case of someone who has already proven they're willing to drive drunk multiple times, it's just not doing enough to stop them."
The magistrate in Orellana's case ruled that he would have to wait for a judge to decide whether he would get bond this time.
I don't even know where to start with this one... the fact that someone can go from having two previous DWI charges and still manage to get behind the wheel drunk again, puts an entire three-year-old's life at risk? It's just not right 
. And what really gets my goat is that he got off scot-free before, like only a few days in jail... like, what even is the point of probation then? 
It sounds like it's just a slap on the wrist to him and his ilk. Can't they just get rid of the whole ride-sharing thing, I guess? Just another example of how messed up our transportation system is 
And to make matters worse, this guy has two previous charges... how does he keep repeating this mistake? 
. And what really gets me is that the kid could've been hurt... it's just a miracle they're safe and sound 
.
. It's time to crack down on DWIs, plain and simple 
.
its not that hard to avoid drinkin & drivin. and whats w/ these lenient sentences? if u r gonna do it, face the consequences! 2 days in jail is NOT enough for someone who's put innocent lives at risk 
Ride-sharing apps are literally here for a reason, we don't need people getting behind the wheel drunk anymore 
.
. We need more people talking about how this affects not just the person driving, but everyone on the road, including kids like that little 3-year-old 
.
3 yrs old innocent child, what if something happened to them?!
. I think the DA is right, with all the options we have now like ride sharing and Uber, theres no excuse to even think about getting behind the wheel drunk 
. And yeah, ride-sharing apps are super convenient so no reason at all to be drinking and driving...idk what he was thinking 
. Probation clearly didn't work for him and now we're paying the price 
. Hope the little one is okay tho 
.
can't believe this guy's lucky record kept him out of jail so far! Like, what's going on with these ride-sharing apps and all? Shouldn't they be enforcing stricter penalties for ppl who use 'em irresponsibly? And seriously, how hard is it to check if someone's had a drink b4 getting behind the wheel?! 
What if something terrible happened to that little kid? The fact that he got three previous charges doesn't excuse his behavior, it just means he's been lucky so far. But what really gets me is that he was given probation and an interlock device before, but he still managed to mess up again. 
It's just so frustrating to see someone like this get another chance... hope they learn their lesson 
. He got leniency last time, probation didn't do anything... this is avoidable! The child's mom won't face charges tho, but what about Jose's future? 
probation didn't work for him, guess he needs to face the music this time 
.