Alleged drunk driver was doing ‘donuts’ before car plunged into Fresno County canal
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- A 22-year-old Reedley man pleaded not guilty to gross vehicular manslaughter and drunk driving.
- Prosecutors say the Challenger was doing donuts and drove into the Friant-Kern Canal, killing a 24-year-old passenger.
- Judge Ryan I. Wells set bond at $420,000 and defendant faces up to 10 years if convicted on all counts.
A Fresno County prosecutor says an alleged drunk driver was doing donuts on the bank of a canal when he launched his car into the water, killing one of his passengers.
Appearing in court Tuesday, Alexander Alcocer, 22 of Reedley, pleaded not guilty to one count of gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated and two counts of drunk driving.
Alcocer was arrested on Friday after he crashed his Dodge Challenger into the Friant-Kern canal, causing the death of one of his passengers, 25-year-old Wendy Rivera Gonzalez of Reedley.
Gonzalez’s family was in court Tuesday, holding a framed photo of Wendy. They declined to comment after the hearing.
Prosecutor Steven Ueltzen said the crash happened on April 24 east of Minkler near Jensen and Navelencia avenues. Alcocer and his two passengers, a male and Gonzalez, were drinking as they sat in his Dodge Challenger.
After a while, Alcocer began revving his engine, causing the car to slide in a circular motion on the southeast bank of the canal, police say.
While doing “donuts” with his car, Ueltzen said, Alcocer drove the Challenger “straight into the canal at a high enough speed that it cleared the near bank and made it more than halfway across the canal.”
“The defendant and his other two passengers got out of the vehicle once it was submerged in the water, both the defendant and one of his male passengers were able to make it to the shore and survived,” Ueltzen said. “The female passenger inside his vehicle was unable to swim and died as a result. She was drowned in the water, pronounced deceased in the morning.”
Ueltzen said Alcocer’s blood alcohol concentration was .08, the legal limit of intoxication.
Alcocer’s next court appearances are scheduled for May 4 for a pre-preliminary hearing and May 11 for a preliminary hearing.
Superior Court Judge Ryan I. Wells set the defendant’s bond at $420,000.
If convicted on all counts and enhancements, Alcocer faces up to 10 years in prison.
This story was originally published April 28, 2026 at 3:29 PM.
