News Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: July 30, 2007

Contact person(s):

Media Coordinator, Donna Edwards - 565-3099 Media Spokesperson, Assistant District Attorney Christine Cook

Santa Rosa, Sonoma County, California

GUILTY VERDICT ON DUI AND FELONY CHILD ENDANGERMENT CASE

District Attorney Stephan Passalacqua announced today that on July 19, 2007, a Sonoma County jury found Rudolfo Frederico Desouza guilty of driving under the influence of alcohol and felony child endangerment. He will be sentenced on August 27th, 2007, in front of the Honorable Arthur Wick.

District Attorney Passalacqua said, "By driving drunk, this defendant not only put the lives of others on the road at risk, but, as a Sonoma County jury has found, he endangered the life of his own young child."

Desouza, 49, of Petaluma, was arrested after being observed speeding in the city of Petaluma. When officers contacted him they determined he was driving under the influence of alcohol. Further, Desouza’s 7-year-old child was a passenger in the vehicle and was seated in the front while unrestrained. Open empty bottles of tequila and cold beer cans were present in the vehicle and Desouza’s blood alcohol content was measured at twice the legal limit. The jury deliberated the morning of July 19th before reaching their verdict.

Deputy District Attorney Brian A. Staebell was the prosecutor assigned to the case.