Fermin Orozco-Diaz pled guilty on Friday to four counts of Felony DUI. He faces a possible 15-20 years in prison.
Orozco-Diaz’s guilty pleas on Friday were his ninth, tenth, 11th and 12th convictions for DUI and all of them were in Longmont.
On Sept. 3, 2022, Orozco-Diaz crashed his Ford Ranger into a food truck on Third Avenue. When police arrived, Orozco-Diaz had fled the scene on foot. Officers soon located him; he tried to flee again but was soon apprehended. Police described that Orozco-Diaz smelled of alcohol and appeared to have urinated in his pants. They also said he was unable to maintain his balance and could not follow instructions. It was later determined that his blood alcohol level was .237. In Colorado, driving with a blood alcohol level of 0.08 or above is unlawful.
Police also discovered that Orozco-Diaz had eight prior DUI convictions in 2001, 2002, 2003, 2006, 2008, 2011 and 2016.
Orozco-Diaz’s tenth DUI conviction happened on Dec. 7, 2022 when the Longmont Police responded to a welfare check in the parking lot of Twin Peaks Liquors located at 999 Hover St. According to the DA’s office, Orozco-Diaz had been asleep in his car for two hours. When police arrived they saw Orozco-Diaz asleep in the car with an open container in his hand and 15 empty beer cans and bottles in his car.
Police also noticed that the keys to the car were in the ignition, however, the engine was not running, according to a news release from the DA’s office.
Orozco-Diaz had a blood alcohol level of .196.
Orozco-Diaz was arrested for both events but was released on bond, during which he was arrested a third time on Dec. 24, 2022. This time he was found weaving in and out of traffic along Atwood Street. It was discovered that his blood alcohol level was .202 and he told police officers that he could not perform the roadside maneuvers because of the beer he had consumed.
The fourth conviction was made when Orozco-Diaz was found asleep in his car on Dec. 29, 2022 in the parking lot of 7 Liquors in Longmont. This time, his car engine was running and his hand was on the gear shift. His blood alcohol level was .254.
Police discovered several empty beer bottles in the car. Orozco-Diaz also had a duffel bag full of clothes, his passport, and $5,386 in his car, according to the DA’s Office. Officials said the items gave the appearance that Orozco-Diaz was leaving Boulder County.
It was clear to the DA’s Office that Orozco-Diaz would continue to drink and get behind the wheel of a car. It asked for high bonds and submitted motions for bond revocations, according to the DA’s Office news release. Ultimately, the court set a bond amount high enough that prevented Orozco-Diaz from being released and he remained in custody. His bond is currently set for $2.75 million.
“This defendant represented a real danger to our community because of the choice he repeatedly made to drive while completely drunk. I appreciate the dedication of the Longmont Police Department and our prosecution team in recognizing that this defendant must be held accountable for his conduct, his criminal history, and the risks that he presented to everyone on our roads. The lengthy prison sentence he faces is certainly appropriate under these circumstances,” said District Attorney Michael Dougherty.
Orozco-Diaz pled guilty on Friday and the judge ordered a pre-sentence investigation and an alcohol evaluation. Orozco-Diaz will return to court on Oct. 27 for sentencing.
