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Court documents: Suspect in deadly Eastern Shore crash had BAC nearly four times legal limit

Posted at 6:39 PM, Sep 02, 2014
and last updated 2014-09-03 07:12:15-04

Accomack County, Va. - The suspect in a deadly car crash on the Eastern Shore, Bonifilio Velazquez, has previously been found guilty of driving without a license in Accomack County three times, according to online court records.

Court documents also provide more details about the night of the crash, which killed three people: Diann Jones, 55, Arnette Chandler, 58, and A'Janae Jones, 12.

They had been attending a family reunion when their car was hit head-on in the Keller area on Rt. 13 Saturday, Aug. 30.

Police say Velazquez, the driver of the car that hit them, had been drinking.

According to a criminal complaint filed in court, a preliminary breath test showed Velazquez's blood alcohol level was .30, which is nearly four times the legal limit.

There were difficulties with the preliminary breath test, though, so his blood is also being tested.

Still, the initial test shows a stark difference from what Velazquez told police.

Speaking through an interpreter, Velazquez reportedly told officers he had only had two beers since three that afternoon.  The crash happened around eight.

He also repeatedly said it's not his fault, according to his bail determination checklist.

That same court paperwork shows that Velazquez has a prior immigration violation.  NewsChannel 3 has also learned that Immigration and Customs Enforcement lodged a detainer on the Guatemalan national after his arrest over the weekend, meaning there is currently an issue with his immigration status.

He's a long-time member of the community, though.  He's lived on the Eastern Shore for 17 years and has a wife and four kids, according to his bail determination checklist.

He's scheduled to be arraigned Wednesday.