California DUI News: Servers Arrested in Davis, CA

Four Arrested for Serving Alcohol Before Fatal DUI.

State and local authorities served arrest warrants on four UC Davis students Thursday morning in connection with a fatal crash in Sacramento that recently sent another student to state prison for six years.

Sergei Andres, 19; Conor Tekautz, 19; and Brian Soest, 20; all were taken into custody at their apartments at 625 Cantrill Drive. Timothy Gereg, 21, who lives at the same apartment complex, had already left for a crew team practice but turned himself in later Thursday at the Davis Police Department.

All four are accused of furnishing alcohol to 19-year-old Eric James Holmes, who on Feb. 7 caused a head-on collision on Interstate 5 in Sacramento that killed Amanda LeGrand, 34, of Washington.

Authorities said Holmes, a UCD student who lives in Auburn, was driving home from a keg party at a Davis apartment. Holmes reportedly had a blood-alcohol level of .15 - nearly twice the legal limit of .08 - when he entered I-5 going the wrong direction, colliding with LeGrand's car in a crash that also injured the woman's aunt.

Holmes was sentenced last Friday to six years in state prison after pleading guilty to a charge of gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated.

Thursday's arrests were made by officers from the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control, with assistance from Davis police officers, as part of the state's recently launched TRACE (Target Responsibility for Alcohol Connected Emergencies) program. The program seeks to determine the sources of alcohol provided to minors who are involved in serious or fatal traffic collisions.

Joe Galvan, a supervising investigator for ABC, said the TRACE investigations target bars, restaurants, liquor stores and individuals who sell or furnish alcohol to people under 21 years of age.

ABC officials took similar action in 2001, when they suspended the liquor license of The Paragon following the death of David Thornton, a UCD student who died after consuming 21 alcoholic beverages at the downtown bar to celebrate his 21st birthday. Authorities said a minor also was served alcohol during the celebration.

In a settlement with the ABC, The Paragon's then-owner also agreed to transfer ownership of the liquor license, change the bar's name and dismantle the outdoor patio where Thornton reportedly had consumed his drinks. Criminal charges also were filed against a Paragon bartender and waitress, though a jury later acquitted both.

"We've always done these types of investigations, but this really formalized it," Galvan said of the TRACE program. "This is one of the most important things that we do. Our core enforcement objective is keeping alcohol away from kids."

Authorities said Gereg purchased the beer keg for the February party, which was to celebrate Soest's 20th birthday. Andres, Tekautz and Soest are accused of furnishing the alcohol to Holmes and several other underage people.

"They're not thinking about what's going to happen when all these people leave their house," Galvan said. "There needs to be some accountability there."

The arrested students live at the Sterling Apartments, which coincidentally was the scene of a huge pre-Picnic Day party last Friday night that required about 30 law-enforcement officers to bring it under control. The complex is around the corner from the Davis Police Department.

Authorities say the gathering involved between 500 and 800 partygoers, some of whom reportedly pelted officers with glass bottles, food and other items.

Andres, Gereg, Tekautz and Soest were lodged at the Yolo County Jail following their arrests on warrants charging them with furnishing alcohol to a minor and serving an obviously intoxicated individual, both of which are misdemeanors.

None remained in jail custody as of this morning, but they are expected to be arraigned next month in Yolo County court. If convicted, they face up to a year in jail, $1,000 fines and loss of their driving privileges, Galvan said. They also face discipline by the university.

The protocol for the TRACE program was developed by a coalition of California law-enforcement and other agencies, including ABC, the Attorney General's Office, the California Highway Patrol, Office of Traffic Safety, Mothers Against Drunk Driving and the California Police Chiefs and Sheriffs associations.

Friday, April 23, 2004
By Lauren Keene
Enterprise staff writer
Reach Lauren Keene at lkeene@davisenterprise.net

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