Sentencing In Fatal Oxnard DUI Crash

Wednesday January 08, 2025

     Update--36-year-old Nathaniel Wills of Los Angeles was drunk and driving recklessly through Oxnard almost three years ago when he crashed.

     One of his passengers, Leon Parks, was killed and two other passengers were seriously injured.

     Because Wills had four prior DUI convictions, the Ventura County DA's Office charged him with murder under what's known as the Watson Waiver that advises people convicted of DUI that if they do it again, and somebody dies, they can be charged with murder.

     Wills went on trial for murder but the jury failed to reach a verdict on that and every other count except for driving on a suspended license because of his prior DUI convictions.

     That led to a scheduled retrial but the judge dismissed the murder charge and Wills faced the lesser charge of gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated.

     That's when Wills decided to plead guilty to that lesser charge plus some other related charges and 17 special allegations.

     Wednesday the judge sentenced Wills to more than 15 years in prison