Driver accused in string of crashes has open DWI cases from Louisiana

Wednesday, April 29, 2015
Alleged drunk driver accused in 4 crashes
Blaine Boudreaux stood before a judge in handcuffs

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- Four separate crashes, two of them deadly, all on one day and all linked to one man -- Blaine Boudreaux admitted to being on anti-depressants the day police say he got behind the wheel and hit and killed two people.

It was an emotional morning for the family of six-year-old Joshua Medrano, coming face to face with the man accused of killing their son. He's accused of three accidents and possibly one more, two of them leading to the deaths of that six-year-old child and a homeless man. On Wednesday morning he faced a judge.

Blaine Boudreaux, 34, was in handcuffs as the judge read him his rights. He's charged with three counts, from intoxication manslaughter to intoxication assault and failure to render aid, resulting in a death.

On Sunday, April 26, Boudreaux allegedly was involved in an accident that sent a two-year-old and an adult to the hospital. The DA's office says he then later drove off the road and killed a homeless man, Leonard Batiste, who was sitting off the road. A short time later Boudreaux was involved in another accident that killed six-year-old Joshua Medrano and critically injured his mother.

Court documents show Boudreaux left his front bumper and license plate where the homeless man was found. And where the six-year-old died, witnesses say Boudreaux had passed out at a street light before gunning the gas pedal and hitting the boy's car.

Joshua's family was extremely distraught in court, crying the entire time. At one point, one family member shouted out, "I hope you die ... expletive" as Boudreaux walked out of the courtroom.

"We received some information from New Orleans that the defendant has some prior DWI cases that appear still to be open, which leads us to believe that he is a flight risk in our county," said Alison Baimbridge, Chief of the Harris County District Attorney Vehicular Crimes unit. "Those cases he was on bond for, never finished the case, they were never disposed. So if he's a flight risk in one county and state, and fled to another state, it causes us some concern. We would like to find justice for these families, so we would like him to stay here until this case is disposed."

Because Boudreaux has several outstanding warrants for DWI in Louisiana, and also jumped bond on one of those cases, bond was raised to $100,000 for each charge of his three counts. In court, it was also revealed that Boudreaux took a drug that curbs opium addiction and consumed alcohol that same day. The results of toxicology reports may lead to further charges.