Alexandria drunken driving case sent to grand jury

Dick Uliano, wtop.com

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – The case against a man accused of a drunken driving crash in Alexandria last month which killed a little boy and seriously injured the boy’s mother has been referred to the grand jury.

Police say Victor Aldana’s blood alcohol level was 0.15, about twice the legal limit, when the car he was driving on Jan. 15 jumped a curb on Duke Street and slammed into 8-year-old Brian Hernandez-Chavez and his mother, Maria, who were walking from Landmark Mall.

Hernandez-Chavez, a third grader, was killed and his mother’s legs and pelvis were broken.

Aldana, who has an address in Alexandria, appeared briefly in court Monday morning in a gray jail jump suit, assisted by an interpreter.

He’s charged with manslaughter in Juvenile and Domestic Relations court, because the victim was a minor.

Additional charges in General District Court, including maiming, driving under the influence and driving without a license, have been dropped for now, but prosecutors say they can be reinstated at a later date.

The grand jury is scheduled to meet in March.

A fund has been set up online for the Chavez family. As of Monday afternoon, they had raised $13,990. To donate, follow this link.

Follow WTOP on Twitter.

(Copyright 2012 by WTOP. All Rights Reserved.)

Federal News Network Logo
Log in to your WTOP account for notifications and alerts customized for you.

Sign up