AUSTIN (KXAN) — A 36-year-old Austin man was arrested on Sunday and charged with felony driving while intoxicated after he allegedly hit a parked vehicle and nearly hit pedestrians before leaving the scene and driving a vehicle into the Colorado River at the Walsh Boat Landing, according to an arrest affidavit.
Court records said Austin Police Department officers arrived on scene to find a white sedan in water midway up to the roof, and saw jet skiers helping a man in the river.
Upon returning to the boat ramp, APD identified the man as Nicholo Venegas and confirmed he was the driver and sole occupant in the vehicle, according to the affidavit.
According to court records, Venegas told officers he did not know where he was and showed multiple signs of intoxication. Venegas refused a drug recognition evaluation and was subsequently arrested on the felony charge of DWI third or more.
An attorney for Venegas has not been listed yet.
In addition to this being Venegas’ third DWI arrest, KXAN found more than a dozen criminal cases in Travis County against Venegas, many of which were drug-related offenses, and a 2021 case where Venegas was charged with intoxication manslaughter with a vehicle and manslaughter.
According to court records, Venegas was driving 81 mph in a 30-mph speed zone in August 2021 when he crashed into a retaining wall, leading to the death of the passenger in the car.
Medical records showed Venegas’ blood contained traces of alcohol, cannabis, amphetamines, and PCP, according to court documents.
The Travis County District Attorney’s Office offered Venegas a plea agreement in the case in April 2025, records show.
In exchange for a plea of guilty to the charge of manslaughter, the DA’s office agreed to waive the intoxication manslaughter with a vehicle charge, and sentenced Venegas to 10 years of probation with the following conditions:
- Required to pay the children of the deceased $1,000 a year for 10 years.
- Required to complete 200 hours of community service (unless employed)
- Required to spend 10 days in the Travis County Jail beginning on August 18 every year for 10 years.
According to Travis County magistrate data obtained by KXAN, Venegas is one of more than 300 people arrested and charged in 2025 with felony driving while intoxicated third or more.
Credit: Source link
