A Hilmar man recently racked up his sixth felony conviction for driving under the influence, which will be sending him to prison for four years, reported the Stanislaus County District Attorney’s Office.
Luis Manuel Melo, 59, of Hilmar pled no contest on Monday to a felony charge of driving under the influence.
Shortly before midnight on Oct. 28, 2016, Melo was seen trying to back out of a parking space at 110 Main St. in Turlock. Melo tried to back up twice, but each time he collided with the car parked next to him. A witness saw Melo’s driving and called 911.
When officers contacted him, Melo showed obvious signs of intoxication. He was arrested and charged with felony driving under the influence due to his having been previously convicted for the same crime. A chemical test revealed his blood alcohol level to be .21 percent, almost three times the legal limit.
In entering his plea, Melo also admitted that he had been driving with a blood alcohol level of .08 percent or higher and admitted a special allegation for having a blood alcohol level of .15 percent or higher. Stanislaus County Superior Court Judge Shawn Bessey then sentenced Melo to four years in state prison.
This is Melo’s sixth felony driving under the influence conviction in the last 12 years, according to the district attorney’s office.