Accused drunk driver to remain in jail after Tampa crash that killed hospice nurse

TAMPA, Fla. - The accused drunk driver who prosecutors said was behind the wheel of a deadly Tampa crash was denied bond during a hearing in court on Wednesday. 

Jenri Fuentes-Rodriguez was charged with DUI manslaughter and vehicular homicide in the crash that killed Ann Marie Rutkowski, a hospice nurse who was driving to work at LifePath Hospice when the crash happened on Feb. 25. 

Investigators said Rodriguez was driving drunk in a 2022 Chevy Suburban when he ran a red light at the intersection of Himes and Waters Avenue. The vehicle slammed into Rutkowski's Toyota Camry, killing her. 

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Robert Denbigh, the lead detective on the crash who is with the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office, testified during the hearing. 

"The Suburban can be very clearly seen running a red light at a very high rate of speed when it makes a collision," explained Denbigh. 

However, investigators quickly realized this wasn't Rodriguez's only crime that day. 

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"I learned from Tampa police that the Suburban had been involved in at least two other crashes within city limits of Tampa just prior to, and a witness had even followed the vehicle from those crashes and observed our crash from a distance," Denbigh said during the hearing. 

Prosecutors pointed out that Rodriguez was involved in a total of three hit-and-run crashes within minutes of each other. 

After hearing all of that, Tampa Judge Catherine Catlin had heard enough. 

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"You had two chances to stop. Nobody had to die this day. After the first incident, you could’ve stopped. Yes, it you would’ve had your first DUI. Then you have another crash, and you could’ve stopped, and you didn’t. You just kept going, and the victim didn’t have a chance, you were coming so fast nobody would’ve seen you coming," said Catlin. 

Rodriguez was denied bond by the judge, calling him a danger to the community. He will remain in jail until his trial. 

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