‘It wasn’t an accident’: Judge grills driver in DUI crash that killed Las Vegas vet

A repeat DUI offender was sentenced Thursday to three to 10 years in prison for a fatal hit-and-run crash that killed an Air Force veteran.

During the sentencing, Alfredo Jauregui, 23, who pleaded guilty last month to one count of DUI resulting in the death of George Brown, told District Judge Christy Craig that “it was all an accident.” Police have said that Jauregui was driving on Marion Drive toward Flippin Street on Oct. 5 when he struck a pedestrian who was in the roadway.

Craig pressed Jauregui to clarify, noting that while she recognized he had not intended to kill Brown, the crash was preventable.

“You decided to drink, you decided to drive, and as a result of those two decisions, you hit and killed somebody and took their life,” Craig explained. “It’s important that you understand that distinction, and I’m not sure that you do.”

The judge, sounding exasperated, told Jauregui that he could’ve called an Uber or waited until he was sober, but because he did not, Brown died.

According to online court records, Jauregui still has an open case related to a May 30, 2024, incident, in which he was arrested on suspicion of five charges, including driving under the influence, possession of an open alcohol container in the vehicle, and driving without a valid license. His sentencing in that case is scheduled for Sept. 15.

Court documents also show that he was convicted of DUI twice in 2022.

“There’s not a lot I can do about the kind of person you’re going to be in the future, but I hope you take this seriously,” she added, before inviting Brown’s family members to give victim impact statements.

Amaris Davis, a cousin of Brown’s, noted that nearly a year had passed since the crash. She said she had spent much of that time arranging her cousin’s funeral and mourning his death instead of celebrating her own achievements.

“I was 10 weeks away from graduating from UNLV. The weeks I planned for celebration became endless court dates, hearing the same decisions, and enduring a long process I never imagined I’d have to go through,” Davis said. “Since that day, everything has changed. My days are filled with sorrow, sleepless nights, and a heart that will never be healed.”

Davis said that Brown had been the one who kept the family together. He was the oldest grandchild and the father of 16-year-old twin boys.

Craig later ordered Jauregui to pay nearly $6,500 in restitution to Brown’s mother, Bridgett Hollis, who sat in the courtroom gallery, clutching a framed photo of Brown, her only child.

Before the end of the hearing, Craig also told Jauregui that she was worried about what would happen when he was released from custody.

“I hope you recognize the pain that this family is in as a result of a choice that you made. It wasn’t an accident,” Craig said. “It was because you were playing Russian Roulette with other people’s lives.”

Contact Akiya Dillon at adillon@reviewjournal.com.