10th Drunk Driving Conviction = 5 Years In Prison For Wyoming Man

Andrew Mascarenas was convicted of driving under the influence nine times between 1990 and 2015. His latest episode occurred in January. By Travis Loose, Patch Staff | Apr 12, 2018 7:05 pm ET 10th Drunk Driving Conviction = 5 Years In Prison For Wyoming Man HILLSBORO, OR —

A serial drunk driver from Wyoming was sentenced to five years in prison on Thursday. Washington County Circuit Court Judge Andy Erwin apparently decided 10 driving under the influence convictions was more than enough for 50-year-old Andrew N. Mascarenas. Mascarenas, of Cheyenne, Wyoming, was previously arrested for drunk driving nine times between 1990 and 2012. He reportedly served nearly two years for his last DUII conviction. The case for which Mascarenas’ five-year sentence was handed down reportedly stemmed from an incident in Beaverton in January. According to the Washington County District Attorney’s Office, Mascarenas was pulled over on Beaverton-Hillsdale Highway after leaving The Dolphin strip club at around 2:30 a.m. Jan. 14. After watching Mascarenas drive the wrong way down the highway, cross the concrete median, and nearly hit another driver head-on, Washington County Deputy Gary Upton pulled him over. During the subsequent conversation with Upton, Mascarenas reportedly claimed to have only drank two beers over roughly 5.5 hours at The Dolphin. Yet he reportedly still said he drank too much and that he shouldn’t be driving. Court documents show Mascarenas refused to take any sobriety tests. Leaning on a “diabetic episode” defense during trial, Mascarenas’ lawyer reportedly tried to convince the jury that Mascarenas didn’t “understand what was happening in his own body” when he told jail staff that an abnormally high blood sugar content “was normal for him and higher blood sugar actually makes him feel better.” Ultimately, the jury did not go for it and found him guilty. And Judge Erwin during sentencing stated, “Given the defendant’s history his sentence must prioritize public safety and the need to keep him away from alcohol and vehicles as long as possible.”