DUI, murder suspect pleads not guilty

SAN FERNANDO - A 20-year-old Canyon Contry man pleaded not guilty Wednesday to charges he drunkenly plowed his pickup truck into a group of bicyclists in a canyon north of Saugus, killing one and injuring at least three others.

Marco Valencia wore a beard and a green county jail jumpsuit to his arraignment in San Fernando Superior Court, remaining relatively quiet after loudly answering "present" when the judge called his name.

Valencia was on probation with a suspended driver's license at the time of the crash, having two prior DUI convictions. He faces life in prison if convicted.

Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies arrested him July 11, after he fled the scene of a crash that killed 43-year-old Stevenson Ranch resident Joe Novotny and injured at least three other bicyclists riding on a winding stretch of Bouquet Canyon Road.

Novotny, a Minnesota native, was an avid and experienced bicyclist who recently moved to Stevenson Ranch to become the general manager of a Valencia-based liquid-filter company.

Witnesses and investigators told The Signal earlier this month that Valencia had been driving erratically through Saugus miles before the fatal crash - he drifted across lanes, drove up onto curbs and ran into a chain-link fence.

Valencia was most recently convicted of driving under the influence last year after he ran into a power pole in Canyon Country, knocking out power to nearby residents for hours.

The then-teenager received his first DUI conviction in 2007.

In the current case, he faces 12 felony counts, including one of murder, gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, felony hit-and-run and several other charges.


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Westminster City Councilman Facing Possible DUI Charges

LOS ANGELES (KNX 1070 NEWSRADIO)  -- A Westminster City Councilman is facing possible DUI charges, after smashing his Mercedes into a power pole over the weekend and knocking out electricity to more than 300 homes. Andy Quach says he takes full responsibility for the crash and is ready to face the consequences... although he's not admitting to being drunk.

He says he must've drifted off to sleep while driving. Quach was hurt in the accident - but nothing major. He didn't take a breathalyzer test, but did take a blood test...those results could take a couple of weeks.


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