Colorado man charged in DUI crash that killed Broomfield mother and son sentenced in 2 other DUI cases 4 days earlier

A Boulder County man accused in a deadly crash that killed a mother and son near Broomfield High School has a long history of drinking and driving. CBS News Colorado has learned Jose Menjiaur-Alas pled guilty to two separate drunk driving charges just four days before the crash that killed Melissa Powell and her 16-year-old son Riordan.

Court documents show Menjiaur-Alas has five drinking and driving-related convictions dating back to 2007, four of them in Boulder County and one in Denver.

Again and again, he's been put on probation and, again and again, he's violated it, continuing to drink and drive until his next arrest. In each case, he's been released on no or low bond, failed to reappear for his hearing, and a warrant has been issued for his arrest.

That may explain why he didn't face sentencing for the two DUI cases from 2016 and 2019 until this month. The Boulder County District Attorney's Office allowed him to plead both cases down to lesser charges of Driving While Ability Impaired, despite having three prior drinking and driving-related convictions, multiple probation violations, and repeatedly failing to appear in court.

A Boulder County judge sentenced Menjiaur-Alas to probation, community service and work release on Dec. 8. He left the courthouse and four days later, investigators say, he got drunk, got behind the wheel and drove his truck into a car outside of Broomfield High School, killing the mother and son. 

Boulder County District Attorney Michael Dougherty told CBS News Colorado that he takes cases involving repeat DUI offenders very seriously saying, "There is no excuse for drunk driving and a person must be held responsible for their decision to drink and drive. We will review the court records, including the sentence imposed by the court."

Menjiaur-Alas is being held on a $100,000 bond. He would need to post 10% of that - or $10,000 - to get out.