Man fears brother is on deadly DWI path

SANTA FE, NM (KRQE) - A Santa Fe man who has fought hard to prevent to prevent drunk drivers from getting on the road said he fears his brother could be going down the same path as James Ruiz, the man accused of driving drunk and killing two teens in Santa Fe last week.

James Ruiz is facing two counts of vehicular homicide after police said he plowed into a car and killed teenage sisters Del and Deshauna Peshlakai.

Michael Trujillo, former chair of the Santa Fe DWI Task Force, rushed to the scene of that crash after his girlfriend's daughter was hit in one of the cars caught up in the chain reaction.

She suffered minor injuries.

"You are sitting at a car at a stop light, and one moment you're there, and the next moment you're not," Trujillo said.

Not long after the Santa Fe tragedy, Michael Trujillo learned his brother Steve had been arrested for his fifth DWI.

"I thought to myself, it is just another thing waiting to happen," Trujillo said.

Trujillo said he is frustrated that despite the hard work of a lot of people, repeat offenders like his brother, and james ruiz, keep putting lives in danger.

"I'm angry the system is not working," he said. "We are a family who loves and cares about our brother, and here he is able to drive again, and he shouldn't be."

Michael prays that his brother does not kill himself or someone else on the highway.

"We don't ever stop loving our brother," he said. "But he has to take the first step in wanting to help himself."

Trujillo said it is not just alcoholism treatment that people like his brother needs.

He said he wants tougher penalties for repeat offenders too.

News 13 tried to contact Steve Trujillo for comment, but he was unavailable.