A Chula Vista man went on trial Monday for the 2010 death of a 9-year-old girl who was killed in traffic while the man was allegedly driving under the influence of “huffing” an inhaled substance found in computer keyboard cleaner.
A jury was sworn in Tuesday to hear the vehicular manslaughter trial of Romeo Balbin Dumlao, 41, in the death of Ashley Heffington, who was critically injured Dec. 31, 2009, and later died in a hospital.
Opening statements were heard Wednesday before jurors and San Diego Superior Court Judge Louis Hanoian. Dumlao is charged with gross vehicular manslaughter while under the influence of a drug and injuring others in a crash in Point Loma.
Dumlao pleaded guilty to the charges in 2010 and received 16 years in prison, but he got his guilty plea reversed while acting as his own attorney from prison. Dumlao successfully persuaded a judge his sentence was the result of a judicial error over interpretation of sentencing enhancements.
His guilty plea was reversed in March, 2016, and he was returned to San Diego to face trial. He is represented by Kerry Armstrong, a longtime defense attorney. The prosecutor is Nicole Rooney.
According to court records, Dumlao’s blood showed elevations of the drug Prozac, an anti-depressant, and a high level of diflouroethane, which is an odorless gas in electronic cleaning solutions. There were multiple cans of keyboard cleaner in his car which rear-ended the vehicle driven by the victim’s mother.
Cindy Heffington was stopped at a red light in her Toyota Camry at 9:15 a.m. and her daughter was strapped inside a booster seat. Dumlao’s Toyota 4Runner slammed into her vehicle at approximately 50 mph. After 11 days in a hospital, Ashley Heffington died after life support was discontinued.
Dumlao remains in jail on $1 million bail. He has pleaded not guilty.
