A man, 19, who was given two years' house arrest for racing on a highway ends up in jail for violating the rules of that arrest.
By LORRI HELFAND, Times Staff Writer
Published August 5, 2005
LARGO - Twenty-five days after a judge gave him a break on a felony reckless driving charge, William Botelho Jr. was arrested for violating conditions of his house arrest.
On June 30, Circuit Judge Brandt Downey sentenced 19-year-old Botelho to two years of house arrest and an additional three years of probation for racing on the highway and reckless driving, which led to an accident that severely injured one of Botelho's best friends.
Botelho was facing up to five years in prison. In addition to house arrest, which required him to head directly to his Seminole home after work, Botelho was ordered to pay $400 a month to the family of his friend. Dustin Kwilecki, 19, suffered head injuries in the accident, and his family has spent about $500,000 for medical treatment.
But at 10:15 a.m. on July 25, Botelho violated those rules. He left his job at UPS in the Largo area and headed straight to his former girlfriend's apartment, where he was involved in a "domestic quarrel."
The dispute was settled by the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office, according to a report submitted by a Department of Corrections officer. Botelho was arrested and is being held at the Pinellas County Jail. Botelho is scheduled to change his plea on Aug. 10 and may be sentenced at that time.
"Here the state gave him a chance to get it together, and it's a shame; he got another chance and he blew it," said Debbie Kwilecki, Dustin's mother.
Botelho told law enforcement officials that a friend could drive him only as far as his girlfriend's apartment July 25, and that he went there only to get a ride to his own home. His girlfriend's home is about 9 miles northwest of the UPS building, and Botelho lives about 7.6 miles southeast of his workplace.
"There was a transportation issue," said Botelho's attorney, Jay Hebert. "This was early on and he's trying to get this resolved. We think it's a misunderstanding that hopefully will be cleared up very soon."
Botelho's mother, Lauren Wood, said she wishes she could have been in her son's life to provide more guidance. Wood said she and her son parted ways after the car accident because she was critical of his judgment.
"I hope at some point he makes better decisions for himself," Wood said.
Before the accident, Botelho had acquired four citations for speeding, one for careless driving and another for reckless driving. He also had charges of grand theft, battery and burglary on his juvenile record.
On Feb. 21, 2004, Botelho was driving Kwilecki and another friend home from Clearwater Beach. Racing at nearly 90 mph in a 45 mph zone on Keene Road, Botelho lost control of his 1994 Trans Am, which hit a curb and crashed into a tree on the opposite side of the street near Belleair Road in Largo.
Kwilecki was thrown onto the asphalt. His head took the brunt of the impact, fracturing his skull and causing multiple brain injuries.
Botelho and the friend were also ejected. They were treated at Bayfront Medical Center and released.
Kwilecki spent more than three weeks in a coma, almost three months at Bayfront and about seven months in outpatient therapy.
His injuries obliterated both his short- and long-term memory. He can't remember most of his life before February 2004. And he still struggles to remember the names of ordinary household objects and basic body parts.
Still, Kwilecki has come a long way.
In May, he graduated from Pinellas Park High School, a year after his twin sister got her diploma. And Tuesday, he started an architectural design program at Pinellas Technical Education Centers.
