A man with five DUI arrests in less than four years was still on the streets of Las Vegas last October. That’s when he killed 48-year-old George Brown, a father, cousin, and U.S. military veteran.
Now, thanks to a plea deal, that man, 23-year-old Alfredo Jauregui, could be out of prison in as little as three years.
A Dangerous Record Ignored
Court records show Jauregui’s DUI history started on January 8, 2021, followed by arrests on September 4, 2021, and January 1, 2022. All three were misdemeanor convictions.
Then came May 2024. A North Las Vegas police officer stopped Jauregui for speeding, saw signs of impairment, and spotted an open can of beer in the cup holder. That arrest made four.
And here’s where Nevada’s system failed. Blood test results in DUI cases take, on average, 55 days to process, and drug tests can take 90.
Prosecutors were still waiting for the results from that May arrest when, just months later in October 2024, Jauregui struck and killed George Brown on Marion Drive near Nellis and Cheyenne. He had no driver’s license at the time.
A Plea Deal That Leaves Families Cold
Under Nevada law, DUI resulting in death carries 2 to 20 years in prison. Jauregui’s plea agreement calls for 3 to 10 years – and prosecutors agreed not to seek more time for the May 2024 arrest.
If the judge accepts the deal at sentencing on September 4, Jauregui could be eligible for parole in 2027, with credit for time served.
For Brown’s family, that means the man who killed their loved one could walk free less than three years after taking his life.
Missed Opportunities for Tougher Laws
Governor Joe Lombardo saw this problem coming. In the last legislative session, he proposed allowing prosecutors to charge repeat DUI offenders with second-degree murder.
That bill died in the Democrat-controlled Legislature.
What did pass was far less impactful; a bill doubling the mandatory jail time for a second DUI offense from 10 to 20 days.
It’s a change, but hardly enough to stop someone like Jauregui, who racked up multiple DUIs in just a few years.
Critics of Nevada’s current DUI laws say they don’t treat chronic drunk driving as the violent crime it often becomes. As law enforcement officers point out, they see the same names on arrest reports again and again.
A Veteran’s Life Cut Short
George Brown served his country and his community. Friends remember him as a man with a big heart, always ready to lend a hand.
His family now faces a lifetime of loss, while the man responsible could be free before his 26th birthday.
Time for Accountability
This case is a wake-up call for Nevada.
Delays in testing. Weak sentencing. Laws that don’t keep proven dangers off the road.
The public’s safety shouldn’t take a back seat to the convenience of repeat offenders.
If Nevada truly wants to make its roads safer, it needs to fix the testing backlog, pass stronger repeat-offender laws, and give prosecutors the tools Governor Lombardo called for.
If someone with five DUIs can still be behind the wheel, the question isn’t if another tragedy will happen – it’s when.
The opinions expressed by contributors are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Nevada News & Views. This article was written with the assistance of AI. Please verify information and consult additional sources as needed.
