Teen Pleads Guilty In Fatal DUI Crash

SAN DIEGO -- A Rancho Bernardo teenager who drove drunk and crashed an SUV carrying five people on a residential street -- killing a 20-year-old man -- pleaded guilty Wednesday to two felony charges.

Richard Caldwell, 19, faces a punishment ranging between probation and more than 12 years in prison when he is sentenced Jan. 20 for his guilty pleas to gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated and DUI causing injury.

In a hearing before Judge David Danielsen, the defendant admitted that his conduct caused great bodily injury to two of his passengers.

Danielsen told Caldwell his case would normally result in prison, but told the defendant that he would consider his background and the victims' wishes before fashioning a fair sentence.

"I think it's going to be a very difficult sentencing hearing," the judge said.

Any future felony "strike" conviction could bring a third strike sentence of 25 years to life behind bars, the judge told the defendant.

The accident that killed 20-year-old Charles Elias Amaro II occurred about 2:30 a.m. on April 10 on Valle Verde Road in Poway.

Caldwell suffered a brain injury that left him deaf in his right ear and broke his elbow, said his attorney, Michael Harkness.

The group in the SUV had attended a party the night of the accident. Caldwell's blood-alcohol level was measured at .12 percent, one and a half times the legal limit, three hours after the crash, authorities said.

A sheriff's deputy said Caldwell was traveling close to 70 mph when he lost control of his vehicle. The speed limit on that part of Valle Verde Road is 35 mph, authorities said.

Amaro, who was crushed to death in the back seat, was scheduled to appear in court that same day on an unrelated drunk-driving manslaughter accident that killed a 19-year-old Temecula woman and injured a second passenger.