Impaired Driver with Four Prior DUI Convictions Sentenced to 30 Years

Published on April 12, 2024

Today, April 12, 2024, Albert Isaac Fimbrez (59, of Fresno) was sentenced to thirty years to life in state prison for the crime of gross vehicular manslaughter while impaired for his role as the driver in a fatal crash that took the life of a sixteen-year-old pedestrian on November 5, 2019. Fimbrez’s sentence was handed down by the Honorable Judge Arlan Harrell of the Fresno County Superior Court after Fimbrez pled no contest to the charge on March 14, 2024.

Fimbrez was driving his vehicle northbound on Valentine Avenue approaching Shields Avenue at a measured speed of 71 miles-per-hour in a 40 mile-per-hour zone. Two juveniles were walking northbound on the side of the road when Fimbrez struck both with his pickup truck, causing fatal injuries to one of the juveniles. Fimbrez stopped his truck at the scene. Following evaluation by officers from the Fresno Police Department, it was determined that Fimbrez was operating his vehicle while impaired, and a sample of his blood was obtained for analysis. That analysis revealed that Fimbrez was operating his vehicle under the combined influence of alcohol and prescription medications.

Fimbrez has a lengthy criminal history, including convictions for residential burglary, theft, domestic violence, criminal threats, vandalism, and elder abuse. Specifically, Fimbrez has prior convictions for driving under the influence from 2002, two in 2010, and one in 2011. Fimbrez’s prior convictions for impaired driving made him liable under Courtney’s Law, which requires a sentence of 15 years to life in prison. That sentenced was then doubled based upon his prior strike conviction for residential burglary in 1996.

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

This case was successfully prosecuted by Senior Deputy District Attorney Steven Ueltzen, with assistance from Senior District Attorney Investigators Danielle Isaac and Juan Rivera. 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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