Impaired Driver Sentenced to 15 Years to Life for Fatal Crash

Published on June 12, 2024

Today, on June 12, 2024, Rolando Enrique Alvarenga-Aguilar (48, of Fresno) was sentenced to fifteen years to life in state prison for the crimes of murder, driving under the influence causing injury, and hit and run for his role as the driver in a fatal crash on October 9, 2021. The crash claimed the life of 60-year-old Sabas Ruiz-Galavez and injured another individual. Alvarenga-Aguilar’s sentence was handed down by Judge Geoffrey D. Wilson of the Fresno County Superior Court after he pled no contest to the charges on May 14, 2024.

On October 9, 2021, Alvarenga-Aguilar was driving his van in a parking lot at the intersection of Maple and Belmont in the City of Fresno. While approaching a taco truck in his van, Alvarenga-Aguilar suddenly accelerated his vehicle, striking one person seated at a table, and pinning Ruiz-Galavez between Alvarenga-Aguilar’s van and the taco truck. Alvarenga-Aguilar then ran away, leaving his victims at the scene and fleeing to a nearby neighborhood where he was later found by officers of the Fresno Police Department. During the investigation, it was determined that Alvarenga-Aguilar had a blood alcohol concentration of .20%, which is two-and-a-half times the legal limit for operating a vehicle. After the crash, Ruiz-Galavez was left fighting for his life at the hospital and ultimately succumbed to his injuries on October 18, 2021.

Alvarenga-Aguilar has a lengthy criminal history, including convictions for theft, domestic violence, and two prior convictions for driving under the influence in 2018 and 2019. Alvarenga-Aguilar was still on probation for the 2019 DUI conviction at the time of his fatal crash.

The Fresno County District Attorney’s Office would like to thank the Fresno Police Department for their investigative work and dedication to this case.

This case was successfully prosecuted by Senior Deputy District Attorney Steven Ueltzen, with assistance from Senior District Attorney Investigator Ronnie Sims. The case was prosecuted as a part of the Alcohol and Drug Impaired Driver Vertical Prosecution Program. Funding for that program is provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

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