Court gavel. MWC file photo.
MERRILL, WI (WSAU) — A 32-year-old Wisconsin Rapids man will spend the next two years in prison after pleading no contest to a felony OWI.
Brandon Banuelos entered the plea on Tuesday and was found guilty. The judge then sentenced him to 24 months in prison and an additional three years of extended supervision. He will also pay fines and court costs and write a letter of apology to the victim, a 41-year-old woman whom he was following along a rural road in the Town of Bradly last August.
The woman said Banuelos had been following her for several miles. At one point, she pulled over to allow him to pass. Instead, he continued to follow her until she turned off the road into private property. That’s where officers confronted him, noting that he was initially non-compliant and was detained in the patrol car for safety.
According to the woman, she didn’t know why he was following her.
Court records show he had a blood alcohol concentration of .268 when officers caught up to him.
Officers immediately noticed signs of impairment from Banuelos, but he refused a field sobriety test. He was later booked for OWI and a handful of misdemeanor charges, some of which were dismissed but read into the record at sentencing.
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