Friendswood woman charged with deadly conduct after alleged drunken rampage

  FRIENDSWOOD, TX (KTRK) -- A Friendswood woman is accused of deadly conduct after allegedly trying to run over her husband with a vehicle.

It happened just before 3pm Thursday in the 1100 block of Eagle Lakes Drive.

Michelle Lee O'Donnell, 40, is charged with deadly conduct-family violence.

According to police, O'Donnell drove over a curb and into her yard that afternoon. She then drove directly toward her husband as he was standing behind his truck in the driveway, placing him in danger of serious bodily injury, officials said.

She reportedly slammed into the back of his truck, but he was able to get out of the way. We're told she also got her vehicle stuck in the grass and then backed out into the street before she drove away. She was allegedly intoxicated at the time, officials said.

When officers arrived, they used the suspect's husband's cell phone to track her current location and a warrant was filed in Galveston County.

Police were called back to the residence around 8am Friday and found O'Donnell leaving the area. Officers stopped her vehicle as it entered League City on F.M. 518 and O'Donnell was taken into custody.

Investigators said they found an open bottle of vodka in the vehicle and an open flask of vodka in her purse.

(Copyright ©2012 KTRK-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.) Get more Local »

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Lating singer seeks tougher charges against alleged drunken driver

  HOUSTON (KTRK) -- A five-time Latin Grammy nominee says he wants tougher charges against a man he accuses of hitting him with a car.

Jessee Camacho was walking near El Franco Lee Community Center Park when he was hit by the vehicle. He suffered broken bones.

Eyewitnesses say they had to chase down the driver to get him to stop. In the end, the driver - Andrew Cross - was charged with public intoxication.

Mothers Against Drunk Drivers and LULAC held a news conference, saying the driver had been drinking at a BBQ cook off that day.

"When I found out it was just a PI. I was shocked because he was driving, that to me is a shocker," Jesse Camacho said.

According to the police report, officers didn't have a witness at the scene that placed cross behind the wheel, which is why he was only charged with public intoxication.

LULAC says the best witnesses were never interviewed by police.

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Drunken driver's public punishment suspended

  HOUSTON -- Although a drunken driver has been temporarily allowed to stop wearing a sign saying he killed a young man, the victim's supporters are rallying to make sure the community remembers the dangers of driving while intoxicated.

Some passers-by were hostile to Michael Giacona last weekend when he stood at the site of the crash with a sign reading "I Killed Aaron Coy Pennywell While Driving Drunk." Giacona ran a red light last June and hit 20-year-old Pennywell's vehicle.

It was the first of four Saturdays that Giacona, 39, had been ordered to stand all day at the intersection. He also spent 90 days in jail after the fatal crash, was placed on two years' probation and must wear an ankle-monitoring device, according to court records.

On Friday, Harris County Court-at-Law Judge Michael R. Fields ordered that for his safety, Giacona would stop the public punishment and his sentence would be re-evaluated this week.

Pennywell's relatives and friends gathered Saturday at the intersection, where the victim's smashed black Mustang was displayed to serve as a warning of the dangers of drinking and driving. They said they didn't want people to forget, since Giacona was absent from the site.

"It is just disheartening that he's just going to get a slap on the hand again and walk away," Lisa Dentler told the newspaper.

The victim's mother, Kae Pennywell, said she didn't know the people who had cursed at Giacona the previous weekend.

"The judge put him out there for public humiliation," she said. "He should have expected some of that. But nobody threatened his life."

Pennywell was taping together a medley of signs along the fence of the crash site. One was a large portrait of her son, which the family puts there for holidays and plans to leave on the fence until graduation as a reminder to young drivers, she said.

Locals pitched in their support by making an appearance at the crash site, and many -- including some who don't know the family -- said they planned to return next weekend.

"It could have been one of my kids," said Karon Frigo. "It could have been anyone's kid."

(Copyright ©2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.) Get more Local »

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Court records: Suspected drunken driver plows into homeowner checking mailbox

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- This time of year, you hear the warnings over and over again about the dangers of drinking and driving. And now, there's another reminder. A northeast Houston woman was hit by a drunk driver -- at her own home.

Fifty-four-year-old Konhkahm Tran had just dropped a gift at a relative's house on Christmas Eve before returning home to check for mail. Gerald Layfield, who is accused of hitting her, spent a few days in jail before posting bond. Now Tran, a mother and wife, will be spending all of the holidays in the hospital.

Most of us think the danger is only on the road, but one family found out the hard way that it can follow you home.

The mailboxes in the 1800 block of Isom now sit on new posts. The tire tracks and skid marks from the crash that took them out are still visible, while Tran's family prays she pulls through.

"I hope she's going to make it, just hope," said Tran's sister Somphone Siviseth.

Tran was checking the mail on her way home on Christmas Eve when, according to court records, an intoxicated Layfield veered off the road, first hit the mailboxes and then her, sending her over the fence.

"She flew up, hit the tree, falling down -- didn't even move," Tran's brother-in-law, Kou Sisavat, said.

The crash drew neighbors out of their homes and away from their celebrations.

"The truck was on the side, like the wheels were facing the street," neighbor Jose Valadez said.

Tran's family has practically skipped Christmas. They've been at the hospital every day since.

"Right now she's still unconscious, so we don't know. Already five days, she still hasn't woken up yet," Sisavat said.

Layfield was one of 156 drivers charged in Harris County with intoxication crimes over the Christmas weekend during another No Refusal Program. According to the district attorney's office, 41 of those drivers had a blood alcohol content of greater than .15, nearly twice the legal limit of .08; and since September 1, a new law now makes that a Class A misdemeanor, which means potentially more jail time.

"If their blood-alcohol-content is .15 or above, they face up to a year in jail instead of 180 days in jail," DWI attorney Steve Shellist said.

Layfield is charged with intoxication assault because of Tran's serious injuries. He faces up to 10 years in jail if convicted, and she faces a long fight.

"They should put him away for a long time so they don't do it again," Sisavat said.

According to Harris County court records, this is the second alcohol-related offense for Layfield. But the first, a misdemeanor DWI back in 1986, has long been disposed. He is due in court in February.

(Copyright ©2011 KTRK-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.) Get more Local »

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