A Turlock man is now prison bound for more than two decades after racking up a series of criminal charges over the last few years.
Oscar Lopez Flores, 36, was sentenced on May 30 to 21 years and eight months for three separate felony cases dating back to 2013, the Stanislaus County District Attorney’s Office reported.
On Dec. 5, 2013, Flores was behind the wheel while high on methamphetamine and marijuana and struck a pedestrian in the area of Walnut and Keyes roads. California Highway Patrol officers found methamphetamine on Flores and determined by a chemical test that he had marijuana and methamphetamine in his system. Flores admitted he used the drugs before driving.
The pedestrian suffered major injuries from the crash and was hospitalized.
Flores was charged with felony driving under the influence causing great bodily injury, which counts as a “strike” under California’s “Three Strikes” law. He was also charged with having a prior strike conviction for robbery in 2005, and with having served a prior prison term on that case. Even though the charges were serious, Flores was able to post bail and remained out of custody on this 2013 case.
In September 2015, Flores was caught with a loaded gun by Turlock Police officers. He was charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm along with the same prior “strike” conviction for robbery and having a prison term as in his 2013 case.
In September 2017, Flores was convicted of felony driving under the influence of drugs with an enhancement for causing great bodily injury on the first case and being a felon in possession of a firearm in the second case.
The plea agreement included that he serve 10 years in state prison. Flores was able to delay his sentencing on the grounds that he needed to handle various personal issues. Flores then failed to appear for sentencing on Feb. 26, 2018.
Five months later, Turlock Police officers chased Flores down and arrested him for possession of methamphetamine.
A new felony charge of failing to appear for court and drug possession was filed along with an enhancement for being out on bail in each of his two other cases.
Flores’ defense attorney was able to delay sentencing on several occasions. On May 30, Flores asked for leniency, which was denied. His prison term included doubling his sentence on each conviction for the prior robbery “strike” conviction, adding five years for his serious felony robbery prior plus another two years for each of the out on bail enhancements.
The felony driving under the influence causing great bodily injury conviction is considered a “violent” felony under California law, meaning Flores will be required to serve at least 85 percent of his sentence in actual prison custody. He is currently in jail awaiting transfer to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.
