RI AG: “Another Tragic Story of a Child Who Will Grow Up Without a Mother”

WOONSOCKET, RI--Alexandra Patten Parenteau was 22 years old and the new mother of 16-week old Azariah when her life ended in a car crash on Mendon Road. She was in the passenger seat on Dec. 8. 2015, when her boyfriend Johnny Sak smashed his 1994 Saturn into a telephone pole on Mendon Road. Rescue workers had to extricate Sak, Parenteau and three people riding in the back seat. Patten-Parenteau died at Landmark Medical Center. The others suffered minor injuries.

Sak, who is the child's father, was charged with Driving Under the Influence after blood tests showed the presence of cocaine in his system. He also had a blood alcohol level of approximately .160.

According to Atty. General Peter F. Kilmartin, Sak, 25, of Providence today pleaded guilty to the charge of DUI, death resulting and another charge, Driving to Endanger, death resulting.

In addition, he pleaded guilty to a firearms charge in a separate case and admitted to being in violation of his probation from a 2011 case, the AG said.

Under the terms of the plea, Sak was sentenced to a total of 30 years with 20 years to serve followed by 10 years suspended with probation. Specifically, Sak was sentenced to the maximum penalty of 15 years to serve for the DUI death resulting and 10 years suspended with probation for the reckless driving resulting in death. In addition, the judge imposed an eight-year loss of license upon release from the ACI.

Sak was also sentenced to two years, to run consecutive to the DUI death resulting, for a December 2014 incident in which Sak was found in possession of a Sig Sauer 1911 BB gun after he led police on a high-speed chase in Woonsocket, the Attorney General's Office said. "Sak, who was out on probation at the time of the police chase and DUI, was sentenced to three years to serve, to run consecutive, in violation of his probation."

“Another tragic story of a child who will grow up without a mother, who was killed at the hands of a drunk driver,” Kilmartin said. “In this case, the defendant is the child’s father. If he had cared about the well-being of his newborn daughter, he would never have gotten behind the wheel drunk and high on cocaine. His recklessness and selfishness has forever changed Azariah’s life, as well as the lives of Alexandra’s family and friends.”

Woonsocket Police Lieutenant Thomas Calouro and Detective Jason Berthelette led the investigation and Assistant Attorney General Stephen Regine prosecuted the case on behalf of the Office of Attorney General.

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