Sonoma Co. Man Convicted In Fatal DUI Gets 4 Years: 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.

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.

Read more in The Press Democrat

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