Crash victim tracking repeat drunk driver

ALBUQUERQUE (KRQE) - A motorcyclist with a broken leg is making it his personal mission to see that a man convicted on half of his eight DWI arrests doesn’t get another break.

On Wednesday, Gabriel Candelaria, 34, was sentenced for another DWI. It was his fourth conviction.

“I do find that you are a danger to the community,” Metro Court Judge Henry Alaniz said. “I’m going to impose on the DWI charge 364 days jail.”

In the back of the courtroom was Stephen Claus. He wants to make sure Candelaria gets a fifth conviction soon.

“I think this guy should do serious time, four or five years in prison for as long as he's been at this,” Claus told KRQE News 13.

Claus blames his broken leg on the repeat drunk driver. He said on Oct. 13 an SUV slammed into him on Eubank Boulevard. He was on his motorcycle.

“I was dragged nearly 50 feet with my leg pinned underneath my bike,” Claus said. “They needed to put a plate and 10 screws in there to hold the bone rigid and make sure it heals properly.”

The other driver took off.  Witnesses gave police the license plate number.

On the police report it shows it belongs to Candelaria. About 11 hours after the hit-and-run crash that same vehicle was called in to police again.

Another police report said officers picked up Candelaria, who was allegedly driving drunk again.

“When I first saw his record I was blown away,” Claus said.

Anti-DWI advocate Linda Atkinson said Candelaria's record shows seven DWI arrests before Claus was hit. She said the first was in 1996. However, there are only four convictions.

“He had another one in 1999, he had three in 2002, and two of those were dismissed,” Atkinson said. “The reason that I found [for the dismissals] was 'state not ready.'”

Candelaria was sentenced for a May DWI arrest Wednesday. Trial is pending for the DWI arrest from the day of the hit-and-run. Claus is hoping Candelaria faces charges for that.

“I called the hit-and-run detective,” Claus said. “I was calling him every day for a while leaving messages.”

A probation officer with the courts said on Wednesday that an Albuquerque Police Department officer informed her Candelaria is being investigated for the hit-and-run. There is no word yet on when or if he will be charged.

In addition to the year in jail Candelaria got for his fourth DWI, he also got six months for two other driving infractions he picked up in May.