Jose Menjivar, inset, was charged in connection with the deaths of Melissa Powell and her son Riordan. (Mug shot from Broomfield Police Department; victims’ photo from GoFundMe)
A habitual drunken driving offender faces vehicular homicide charges after allegedly killing a mother and her 16-year-old son while on a revoked license at high speeds three times the legal limit in Colorado.
Jose Menjivar, 37, was charged this week in connection with the deaths of Melissa Powell, 46, and her son Riordan, prosecutors said in a news release.
Menjivar was driving a 2000 Toyota Tundra that crashed into a 2016 Mazda CX-5 on Dec. 12 at Main Street and Miramonte Boulevard, near Broomfield High School, according to a news release from the Broomfield Police Department.
Menjivar, knocked unconscious, was hospitalized before being booked into the Broomfield County jail on charges of vehicular homicide reckless, vehicular homicide DUI and habitual traffic offender, authorities said.
Citing the affidavit, Denver’s Fox affiliate KDVR reported the suspect was driving 100 mph in a 40 mph zone, his blood-alcohol level measured more than three times the legal limit, and he didn’t remember the crash.
The outlet reported that in the truck, police found empty beer cans, an open case, and “an overwhelming odor of an unknown alcoholic beverage.” The station reported he wasn’t supposed to have been driving until July 5, 2024, as his license had been revoked.
Citing court records, Denver CBS affiliate KCNC-TV said he had pleaded four days earlier in a drunken driving case and had five prior drinking and driving-related convictions dating back years.
“There is no excuse for drunken driving, and a person must be held responsible for their decision to drink and drive,” Boulder County District Attorney Michael Dougherty told the station. “We will review the court records, including the sentence imposed by the court.”
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Melissa Powell’s sister-in-law, Kim Powell, told The Denver Gazette, “An immeasurable void has been left in our family and communities, and the world feels less bright without them.”
“We are overwhelmed with the outpouring of support during this difficult time of year, in which our family has sustained so much loss, and ask for privacy to allow us to grieve,” she told the Gazette.
Mom and son were “both a light in many of our lives,” a fundraising site to help support Powell’s surviving sons said.
“It is hard to even understand and grasp the situation,” longtime family friend Jeremiah Garrick wrote. “This inconceivable loss has left the Powell family grappling with grief and unforeseen financial burdens as we head into the holiday season.”
He’s set to appear in court on Jan. 18.
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