FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY, Calif. – Mark Flores (35) of Big Bear Lake has been convicted of multiple charges in two separate cases involving an August 2021 incident of driving under the influence of drugs, as well as a July 2022 1st degree burglary.
On August 27, 2021, Flores was pulled over for a traffic violation in the city of Rancho Cucamonga. Deputies observed visual signs he was under the influence of a drug. Drug paraphernalia was also observed in the backseat of the vehicle.
Flores then failed a field sobriety test and was taken into custody for DUI. It was determined through blood analysis that Flores was under the influence of both methamphetamine and fentanyl.
The San Bernardino County District Attorney’s subsequently charged Flores with misdemeanor PC 23152(f) – driving under the influence of drugs. Flores was given a written notice, known as the Watson advisement, within his complaint which states: “If you continue to drive while under the influence of alcohol or drugs, or both, and as a result of that driving, someone is killed, you can be charged with murder.” (Penal Code section 189; People v. Watson, 30 Cal. 3d 290 (1981)).
Flores failed to appear twice on the misdemeanor DUI charge and on July 31, 2022, was arrested at his residence, after surveillance footage identified him and a second unidentified male entering and burglarizing a home with a resident inside in Big Bear Lake. Our Office charged Flores with PC 459 – felony 1st degree burglary, violation of Health and Safety Code Section 11377(a) – possession of a controlled substance, and violation of Health and Safety Code Section 11364(a) possession of injection/ingestion device as well as prior strike allegations.
Our Office again gave Flores a written Watson advisement within our formal compliant on the charge of possessing a controlled substance that states: “You are hereby put on notice that manufacturing, selling, distributing, providing or sharing controlled substances in any form is extremely dangerous to human life. If you engage in this conduct and someone dies as a result of using or being exposed to a controlled substance, you may be charged with murder.” (Penal Code section 189; People v. Watson, 30 Cal. 3d 290 (1981)).
The Watson advisement is one of the tools our Office uses to increase individual accountability of reckless behavior such as drunk or drugged driving, and manufacturing, selling and distributing illicit drugs that can tragically result in loss of life.
Currently, our Office of Traffic Safety unit is handling more than twenty-five cases of vehicular homicide as it relates to Driving Under the Influence. Additionally, we have murder charges filed in two separate cases against alleged drug dealers stemming from fentanyl poisoning deaths.
Earlier this month defendant Flores pled guilty to 1st degree burglary and a jury convicted him as charged in the DUI. He was sentenced to a total of four years in state prison.
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Documents
Court Case #’s FSB22002307 & MWV22008421
Media Contact
Jacquelyn Rodriguez, Public Affairs Officer
(909) 382-3665
publicaffairs@sbcda.org