Oregon man gets year in jail for four DUIIs in four months

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — A 28-year-old Oregon man who pleaded guilty to committing four DUIIs in Marion County between October of 2022 and February of 2023 was sentenced to a year in jail on Aug. 1.

During each traffic stop, alcohol was found inside Manuel Sanchez-Sanchez’s vehicle and his blood alcohol level was determined to be 0.19% or higher — more than twice the legal limit.

“On October 12, 2022, Sanchez-Sanchez was pulled over after nearly hitting a semi-truck,” the Marion County District Attorney’s Office stated. “Sanchez-Sanchez was driving in the opposite lane at the time. On November 11, 2022, Sanchez-Sanchez was found passed out behind the wheel, with his engine running. On December 7, 2022, Sanchez-Sanchez had rear-ended another vehicle and tried to walk away when law enforcement arrived. And finally, on February 10, 2022, Sanchez-Sanchez was arrested when his vehicle was high-centered on a curb.”

Sanchez-Sanchez has been in custody since his fourth DUII and was denied pretrial release in March of 2023. Marion County Deputy District Attorney Teresa Schulte said that Sanchez-Sanchez’s repeat offenses and level of drunkenness made him a “grave threat to the public.” 

“This is something the Marion County DA’s Office takes very seriously,” Schulte said. “Mr. Sanchez-Sanchez was unable or unwilling to stop driving while intoxicated so it was important to get Mr. Sanchez-Sanchez off the streets.”

Sanchez-Sanchez had no prior DUII’s convictions prior to these arrests. With four DUIIs on his record, any DUII committed by Sanchez-Sanchez following his release would be a felony offense and could land him in prison.