Wrong way driver sentenced to active time behind bars

A Mexican national convicted on four felonies in connection with driving the wrong way on Interstate 64 and sideswiping a New Kent deputy’s police cruiser will be spending the next year and a half in jail.

Angel Rafael Lopez-Morga, 42, who had been living in Richmond on an expired work visa, was sentenced Nov. 5 in  New Kent Circuit Court on the four offenses that occurred on May 11. That day, the defendant drove his white Jeep Cherokee west in the eastbound lanes of I-64 between the Talleysville and Providence Forge exits. When encountered by police, he sideswiped Sgt. Brent Thomas’ cruiser, injuring the deputy before continuing to drive and ignoring orders to pull over.

During sentencing, defense attorney Todd Duval emphasized that Lopez-Morga had “no offensive intent” and pleaded for all of his client’s time to run concurrently. However, Commonwealth’s Attorney Linwood Gregory pointed out facts of the danger involved with the chase that could have been avoided.

“If he would have pulled over, it would have been aggravated DUI,” said Gregory. “Instead he chose to continue to drive.

“This was a bad day, but this could have been worse if he would have struck another vehicle,” concluded Gregory.

Judge Thomas B. Hoover agreed with Gregory, restating facts of the case before pronouncing sentence.

“This was aggravated from the very beginning,” said Hoover. “You could have killed the deputy, yourself, or innocent drivers.

“You continued to elude officers and when they finally got to you, you continued not to cooperate when they asked you to get out of the car,” Hoover said, staring at Lopez-Morga.

Lopez-Morga apologized for his actions, but emphasized that he’s not a bad person.

“I made a mistake,” he said. “I deserve my punishment and should have done the right thing.”

Hoover imposed a sentence of five years each on separate counts of unlawful assault, assault on an officer, felony eluding, and hit and run. Lopez-Morga will serve one year active time on the unlawful assault charge and six months on the assault on an officer charge, both of which are state-mandated minimums. Eighteen and a half years of his time was suspended.

The defendant must pay restitution of $2,910.65 for damages to the police cruiser and medical bills for the injured officer.

In other unrelated cases on Nov. 5:

–Christopher Thomas Batkins, 19, of 3601 Hopewell Road, New Kent, was sentenced to five years in jail with all suspended pending completion of the state’s Diversion Center Program. Batkins accepted a plea deal during an earlier trial on charges of forgery that occurred on May 26-30 of this year.

–Raymond Hampton Putze Jr., 33, of the 8000 block of Henpeck Road, Quinton, accepted a plea agreement on one count of possession of heroin. Under the agreement, he was sentenced to 10 years in jail with all suspended.

–Marress Gary Jr., 25, of 2573 Travellers Road, Shacklefords, received a sentence totaling three years and one day on one count of grand larceny and one count of breaking and entering. A jury rendered guilty verdicts on the two charges in August from evidence that Gary stole property on Jan. 12. Gary maintained his innocence during sentencing.

“I am only guilty of selling the stolen merchandise,” he said. “I was in the wrong for doing that, but I did not go into anybody’s house and steal items.”