GONZALES — Monterey County District Attorney’s Office announced Feb. 7 that Manuel Basaldua, 34, of Gonzales has been arrested and charged with felony DUI charges from on an incident on May 12, 2024.
Basaldua, vice principal at an elementary school in Salinas, has been charged with felony driving under the influence of alcohol causing injury and felony driving with a blood alcohol content of .08 or higher causing injury.
“Additionally, he has been charged with personally inflicting great bodily injury causing the victim to become comatose due to brain injury or to suffer paralysis,” stated the DA’s Office. “It has also been alleged that his blood alcohol content was greater than .15.”
Basaldua was not engaged in school activities at the time of the crash, according to the DA’s Office.
The case was investigated by the California Highway Patrol and the Monterey County District Attorney’s Office Driving Under the Influence Vertical Prosecution Unit. Funding for DUI Vertical Prosecution Unit program was provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
“No further details about the case will be released at this time to preserve the integrity of the investigation and future court proceedings,” stated the DA’s Office.
