A 51-year-old man convicted 10 times of drunk driving was sent to prison for five years today.
“I know I was wrong. I really do need some help,” Manuel Texeira III told Circuit Judge Dexter Del Rosario.
Texeira was sentenced after pleading guilty earlier this year to two counts of being a habitual DUI offender.

He had previously been convicted of 8 other DUI charges.
“He continuously and habitually has operated a vehicle while impaired,” Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Laura Maeshiro told Del Rosario.
She asked the judge to sentence Texeira to back-to-back five-year prison terms, arguing that he is a danger to the public and has a history of drunk driving convictions that stretches back to 1985.
“He’s not a young kid,” she said. “He’s had opportunities to take care of his substance abuse or alcohol abuse problems.”
Texeira’s lawyer, Deputy Public Defender David Williams, asked for a sentence of a year in jail, probation and completion of an alcohol treatment program.
“He is an alcoholic,” Williams said.
Texeira “Is a good man who has a problem and poor judgment,” the defense lawyer said.
“He is remorseful. He knows he has hit rock bottom and needs help,” Williams continued.
Del Rosario questioned Texeira about why he hadn’t sought treatment for his alcoholism sooner.
“I tried once,” Texeira answered, saying the program where he applied “didn’t accept me.”
Del Rosario then sentenced Texeira to the five-year prison term.
“You need help. You need to be in a structured environment,” the judge said.
“You haven’t been able to help yourself,” Del Rosario said.