The suspect in a DUI collision that killed two people has a history of drunk driving and alleged violence, according to court records obtained by NBC 7.
Jeffrey Levi, 37, faces charges for allegedly driving under the influence and causing a crash on Interstate 15 at Miramar Road that killed two people and injured two people, including an off-duty San Diego police officer.
California Highway Patrol (CHP) said Levi was driving a car that rear-ended a Toyota late Tuesday night. A third car, driven by an off-duty San Diego Police officer then hit the Toyota, which was carrying siblings Jesus David Dominguez,33, and Jiovanna Dominguez, 18, and Jiovanna Dominguez’s boyfriend, Isaac Felix, 19.
Jesus David Dominguez and Felix died after the car ignited in flames. Jiovanna Dominguez was pulled out of the wreckage by Good Samartians.
Levi crashed his red Ford Mustang into a nearby ditch on I-15 following the collision and fled, but was soon arrested. Investigators said he was driving at 100 mph at the time of the crash and was under the influence of alcohol.
Court records reviewed by NBC 7 confirm Levi had previous convictions.
In August 2007, Levi pleaded guilty to a DUI. A judge sentenced him to five years’ probation, completion of a first offender DUI program, and ordered Levi to pay a $1,834 fine.
Two years later, another judge issued a civil restraining order against Levi, after his Hillcrest roommate testified that Levi came home drunk and threatened to kill him with a kitchen knife.
“(Levi) came home… heavily intoxicated and woke up plaintiff with verbal assaults and threats of violence,” according to the roommate’s declaration. “(Levi) retrieved (a) knife from the kitchen and returned to plaintiff’s private room and threatened to murder him and other violence, while stabbing at plaintiff.”
On December 21, 2009, Judge Ronald Frazier issued a temporary restraining order prohibiting Levi from harassing, attacking or otherwise harming his roommate. The judge also ordered Levi to stay away from that roommate, the roommate’s car, and his workplace.
According to court documents, another judge dissolved the restraining order and dismissed the case a week later, on January 7, 2010, after the roommate failed to appear at a scheduled hearing.
Levi was booked into San Diego Central Jail on counts of first-degree murder, vehicular manslaughter and DUI relating to Tuesday's fatal crash. His first court hearing is scheduled for Friday afternoon.
