Judge increases bond, drunk driving crash suspect back in jail

HOUSTON (FOX 26) — A man accused of drunk driving made his first court appearance on Wednesday after a crash that seriously injured a 5-year-old girl and her aunt.

The mother of 5-year-old Giselle tells FOX 26 News that the child is clinging to life at Texas Children’s Hospital. The girl’s mother, Mayra Medina, says she is praying for a miracle after Isreal Lugo’s truck passed a red traffic light and struck the car that young Giselle was riding in.

In his first court appearance, the judge raised Lugo’s bond from $5,000 to $40,000, sending him back to jail after he bonded out Monday.

Prosecutors say the 34-year-old is charged with two counts of intoxication assault with serious bodily injury after his red truck slammed into a carload of four people early on Sunday morning.

The crash left Kimberly Saucedo, 24, with serious injuries and her 5-year-old niece Giselle in critical condition.

"I spent almost an hour with the family at her bedside yesterday," said Sean Teare, chief of the vehicular crimes division at the Harris County District Attorney’s Office. “It’s not a good thing at all. It’s an absolute tragedy, and the family is stealing themselves for, sadly, what’s looking like the inevitable.”

Prosecutors said Lugo had left the Time Out #1 Sports Bar early on Sunday morning and was driving erratically, swerving in and out of traffic, when he passed a red traffic light at Harrisburg and 75th Street. Prosecutors said he t-boned a carload of two adults and two children just after 1 a.m.

"The field sobriety tests that were performed that night and the officer’s observations indicate to us that he was intoxicated,” added Teare.

Lugo’s attorney, Paul Looney, said his client was sober during the crash and did not break the law.

"It’s just a tragic accident," said Looney. “There’s no good outcome when a little kid gets killed like that. I’m not here to tell you that it wasn’t bad. I am here to tell you that he wasn’t intoxicated."

Blood alcohol results are pending.

Prosecutors said they’re looking at evidence to determine whether any bartenders were at fault.

"If it’s shown that he was overserved there, then someone could face an additional charge for sure,” explained Teare.

Medina said both her daughter and sister Kimberly were in the intensive care unit on Wednesday. She told FOX 26 that she’s just asking everyone to send a lot of prayers for healing.