LANCASTER – A 24-year-old man accused of driving drunk and causing the Feb. 25 crash that killed the mother of his children has pleaded no contest to two felony charges.
Andres (Andrew) Rubidoux pleaded no contest to gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated and felony DUI causing injury, according to court records.
Rubidoux entered the plea at the Antelope Valley courthouse Tuesday, the day of his scheduled preliminary hearing.
Rubidoux had been charged with murder, driving without a license and three felony DUI charges in connection with the single-vehicle crash on Feb. 25 that killed Destiny Marie Tennison.
Rubidoux, the father of Tennison’s two young children, had been giving Tennison a late-night ride to Walmart when the collision occurred, according to Tennison’s relatives.
The couple was traveling eastbound on Avenue I, approaching 15th street east, when Rubidoux traveled off the roadway and then overcorrected and lost control of the car, sheriff’s officials said.
The vehicle skidded through the intersection and crashed into a traffic signal pole. Tennison was pronounced dead at the scene, and Rubidoux was transported to the hospital, where toxicology reports put his blood alcohol level well above the legal limit, sheriff’s officials said.
On March 5, just days after his release from Antelope Valley Hospital’s intensive care unit, Rubidoux was arrested on a felony warrant for vehicular manslaughter. On March 18, the charges were upgraded to include murder, bail was raised to $1 million, and a preliminary hearing to decide if the case would go to trial was scheduled for March 26, according to court records.
After pleading to the lesser charges Tuesday, Rubidoux was ordered back to county jail without bail. He is due back in court on April 16 for sentencing.
Previous related stories:
Officers, activists join mourning family in message against drunk driving
Driver charged in DUI crash that killed passenger
Passenger killed in suspected DUI crash
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personal opnion says
Over 88mph at impact is accident wow so our officers are dumb for issuing speeding tickets since i guess its ok to speed…Murder, because of all his speeding tickets he toke a traffic class an in those classes they state driving while intoxicated can result in death an you can be charged with murder if u get a dui resulting in a death still that man got behind the wheel an killed two childrens Mother he plead to the lesser charges because 10yrs is better than life if he would have fight the system his past would bite him in the bum to the Tennison family of Destiny im sorry for your loss an your daughters statment touched my heart i pray that you heal and i pray mr.rubidoux will repent an ask your forgiveness in time iv to lost a loved one to a drunk driver i admire your strength to hold your tounge an not comment to these hateful people @Kandie iv read all of your comments little thug i pray god heals the hate in your heart for the Victims family the crime your family member Andrew was found guilty of he killed an mother accident or not you should accept the fact do the crime pay the time god bless an heal all the family on both ends
Otto says
Not even a period….at least at the end?????????!!!!!!
daddy says
sad he has to live with this for the rest of his life hope he gets a short time locked up so he can return to his children who have probly sufferd alot to lose both parents
Karin says
So he can turn around and maybe drive drunk again and kill his kids? What he did was a crime and he needs to pay for what he did. His children are better off with someone who is more responsible.
kandie says
thats why theyre with his mom i can assure u nothing bad will happen to them and how can u say that so he can kill his kids? wtf really nd he didnt kill no one he got in a car accident nd the passenger died unfortunately it was her but it couldve been anyone his friends another family member even me whoever got in the car with him like that wed know what were risking so how is that killing its an accident very different and i can guarantee he will never dui again he is very sorry for what happened he can barely live with himself trust he will forever live with that so why not stop the negative comments already
James says
He did not kill any one? He killed the mother of his children. He was drunk. Last time i check, that was illegal. So how do you get off saying ” wtf really nd he didnt kill no one”
kandie says
did he do it intentionally ?
James says
@kandie, YES HE DID. He knew that drinking and driving is illegal. He knew the gamble he was taking. It’s not rocket science!
carrie says
They will be a responsible person soon
carrie says
With
Tam says
I pray to god that he will get at least 22 years in jail. For that how old destiny was when he took her life. I don’t want him to die I just want him to spend a very long time in jail. I I think when someone dies because of drunk driving they should spend how ever long that person was on this earth in jail and if it is a child that is under 18 years of age it should be for life. If there was only justiced like that. Then again there is better justice with a higher power.