A Central Florida man has been sentenced in a DUI manslaughter case which took the life of 30-year-old Rebekah Jo Towner.
66-year-old Edgar Wesley Tello was sentenced to 135 months in the Florida Department of Corrections for his 2022 Driving Under the Influence (DUI) Manslaughter case.
The Lake County man pleaded guilty to Driving under the Influence Manslaughter and was sentenced to incarceration, followed by probation, DUI school, and had his driver’s license revoked for life.
“We hear and see the catastrophic consequences of driving under the influence all too often,” said Fifth Judicial Circuit State Attorney Bill Gladson. “It is intolerable that anyone would act so recklessly and put innocent lives at risk. I hope this sentence can begin the healing process for Rebekah’s family.”
On April 25, 2022, officers with the Eustis Police Department responded to a traffic crash at the intersection of North Grove Street and Pendleton Avenue in Eustis. Upon arrival, responders observed a motorcycle that was carrying two individuals, both Tello and Rebekah, had crashed. Emergency medical responders rendered aid to Tello, who was located next to the motorcycle.
He was later transferred to a local hospital for treatment of his injuries. Due to the impact of the crash, Rebekah was located about ten feet away from the motorcycle underneath a guard rail and pronounced dead on scene.
During the investigation, a witness told authorities that they were traveling north on North Grove Street and saw the motorcycle pass by in the right lane. The witness indicated they were driving at 35 miles per hour when the motorcycle passed by with Tello driving and Rebekah riding as a passenger. Once the bike passed, the witness noticed it was swerving noticeably before it eventually hit a curb on the right side and went into the grass where it struck a sign and ended up on the sidewalk.
While securing the scene for evidence, investigators located various personal items that were flung from the bike during the crash. One item collected was a mostly empty alcoholic beverage bottle. Officers made contact with Tello regarding the crash. Tello stated he was at a motorcycle show earlier and claimed to had only one beer. Afterward, he stopped at another bar where he met Rebekah. He said they then had drinks together before riding to another establishment and consuming more alcoholic beverages before leaving to drive Rebekah home.
A toxicology panel was obtained from Tello’s medical records and sent off to a laboratory for testing. On August 20, 2022, those results were returned and revealed Tello had a blood alcohol content of 175mg/dL which is twice the legal limit. A warrant was issued and Tello was arrested on February 2, 2023.
This case was successfully prosecuted by Assistant State Attorney Gabriel Lozano.
