Mansfield Man Accused of Drunken Driving in Mansfield Exonerated

A Maine man charged with driving under the influence of alcohol and child endangerment was acquitted Tuesday in Attleboro District Court.

Julio Campoverde, of South Portland, Maine, was initially charged after a May 2 incident according to the Sun Chronicle, but he was cleared of the charges after his girlfriend testified during a bench trial that she was the driver.

In May, Campoverde was spotted by police while he was urinating outside his car. During the proceeding investigation, an empty bottle of tequila and an open bottle of beer were discovered in his car.

At the time, Campoverde was allegedly on his way home to Providence with his girlfriend and 1-year-old child.

In her testimony, Vanessa Lopez of Providence, R.I. said that she pulled over because she was lost and was searching for her phone charger on the passenger side of the car. Campoverde’s lawyer, Daniel Rich of Norton, added that the car was not his client’s and there was no evidence that he was, beyond a reasonable doubt, the driver of the vehicle.

Assistant District Attorney Matthew Lopes argued that despite not seeing Campoverde drive, the circumstantial evidence was enough for a guilty verdict.

Despite the victory for Campoverde, he has been in jail since his arrest on a federal immigration detainer. He could be deported for allegedly being in the country illegally.