He wrote a letter to the court about the experience: "I will never forget the smell of the place and what I had seen," Superior Court Judge Harvey Giss read from the letter on Thursday. "My mind would never let me forget that those were the result of DUI."
The judge recited Valencia's words on Thursday before ruling there was enough evidence to order the 21-year-old Canyon Country man to stand trial in a third DUI case - this one fatal.
On July 11, Valencia plowed his truck into a group of bicyclists on a remote stretch of Bouquet Canyon Road, killing a Stevenson Ranch man and severely injuring others while he was drunk on alcohol and high on methamphetamine, cocaine and marijuana, prosecutors said.
He faces 13 criminal counts, including murder, gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, hit-and-run and several DUI charges, according to court documents. After testimony, Giss set Valencia's bail at $1.3 million dollars and scheduled him to return to court on Dec. 24.
The deadly crash occurred just months after Valencia wrote the seemingly heartfelt letter in November 2008, pledging to turn his life around.
Tests taken after the crash showed Valencia had a blood alcohol level of about .18 percent - more than double the legal limit - and other drugs in his bloodstream, said Los Angeles County Deputy District Attorney John Allen Ramseyer.
"The defendant clearly exhibited the willful, wanton disregard for human life," Ramseyer said.
One witness to the crash, Sheldon Haselwood, testified that he followed Valencia for miles as the suspect weaved in and out of lanes, crashing into a fence before he hit the bicyclists and sped off into the canyons.
Valencia was driving on the wrong side of the road, Haselwood testified.
CHP investigating officer Mark Griffith said fibers found on the driver-side door of Valencia's truck matched the handlebar tape from the bike ridden by Joseph Novotny, the rider who was killed.
Clothing fibers that matched Novotny's bicycle shorts also were found on the front of the truck, Griffith said.
Valencia also was seen by a witness the night before drinking with friends, Griffith added.
The deputy who arrested Valencia the day of the crash said he spotted the truck that matched witnesses' descriptions about 12 to 15 miles north of the accident, but the driver immediately sped off, leading him on a short chase.
The truck ran into a dirt embankment and stopped, and Valencia stepped out, said Los Angeles County sheriff's Deputy Jeffrey Burrow.
He then pleaded with the deputy to end his life.
"He told me to shoot him," Burrow said, "that his life was over."
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