Crime & Safety
Petaluma Man Convicted In Fatal DUI Gets 4 Years: Report
James Watkins, 43, experienced seizures, but continued driving despite prior collisions and killed Novato restaurateur, according to report.
PETALUMA, CA — A 43-year-old Petaluma man on Tuesday was sentenced to four years in prison in connection with a 2020 fatal DUI crash, The Press Democrat reports.
James Thomas Watkins was convicted in May for vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence for the September 2020 crash that killed Mario Gongora Castaneda, a 53-year-old Novato restaurateur, the report said.
Gongora Castaneda was the owner of JJ’s Burger Joint in Novato, according to the report.
Find out what's happening in Petalumafor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Watkins experienced seizures but continued driving despite prior collisions, according to the report.
He was arrested on suspicion of DUI after low levels of anti-seizure medication were detected in his blood, the report said.
Find out what's happening in Petalumafor free with the latest updates from Patch.
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