Notorious drunk driver caught driving

OUR REPORTERS WAS OUT INVESTIGATING THE WORST DRUNK DRIVERS IN THE STATE ... WHEN HE FOUND ONE ...  More »

OUR REPORTERS WAS OUT INVESTIGATING THE WORST DRUNK DRIVERS IN THE STATE ... WHEN HE FOUND ONE OF THEM BEHIND THE WHEEL. THAT WOULD BE JOSEPH RODARTE. HE HAS 19 D-W-I ARRESTS -- 8 OF THEM LEADING TO CONVICTIONS. AMAZINGLY, HE WASN'T BREAKING THE LAW BY DRIVING TONIGHT. ERIC KAHNERT IS LIVE IN OLD TOWN WITH TONIGHT'S TOP STORY, ERIC? THIS IS THE LIST OF THE WORST DRUNK DRIVERS IN THE STATE ... #5 ON THIS LIST IS JOSEPH RODARTE -- WHO LIVES RIGHT NEXT TO REGINALD CHAVEZ ELEMENTARY HERE. RODARTE WAS ARRESTED FOR HIS 19TH D-W-I LAST YEAR ... DESPITE THAT STAGGERING NUMBER ... TONIGHT WE'VE LEARNED ... HE'S STILL ALLOWED TO DRIVE. AFTER GETTING OUR HANDS ON THE LIST OF THE STATE'S WORST DRUNK DRIVERS ... WE DECIDED TO STOP BY THE HOME OF JOSEPH RODARTE ... #5 ON THE LIST. WHEN WE SHOWED UP, WE NOTICED RODARTE BEHIND THE WHEEL OF A WHITE PICKUP. RODARTE QUICKLY SPED AWAY WHEN HE SAW OUR CAMERA. WHEN WE MET UP WITH RODARTE AT A STOP LIGHT ...HE TRIED TO HIDE HIS FACE. WE FOUND OUT RODARTE IS ALLOWED TO DRIVE HIS TRUCK AS LONG AS HE HAS AN IGNITION INTERLOCK IN IT -- WHICH HE DOES. HERE'S A SHOT OF RODARTE GETTING READY TO BLOW INTO HIS IGNITION INTERLOCK TO START UP HIS PICKUP. RODARTE WAS POPPED JUST LAST YEAR IN PECOS FOR HIS 19TH D-W-I ARREST. HE HAS A TOTAL OF 8 D-W-I CONVICTIONS. THE FACT THAT RODARTE IS STILL OUT ON THE ROAD IS FRUSTRATING TO LINDA ATKINSON FROM THE D-W-I RESOURCE CENTER. SHE COMPILED THE LIST OF THE WORST DRUNK DRIVERS FOR US. 1:38 'when you look at these repeat offenders, you think, are we really making a dent?-4'FOURTH ON THE LIST IS 44 YEAR OLD DANIEL LEFEBRE OF SANTA FE WITH 10 DWI CONVICTIONS AND 19 ARRESTS .... HE'S LOCKED UP. SO IS 47 YEAR OLD PAUL SANDOVAL. HE'S MOVED INTO THE THIRD POSITION THIS YEAR WITH 10 D-W-I CONVICTIONS AND 20 ARRESTS ... HIS LATEST WAS JUST LAST MARCH. IN THE NUMBER TWO SPOT, IS FRED ROYBAL OF GALLUP. THE 62 YEAR OLD HAS 13 CONVICTIONS AND 23 D-W-I ARRESTS ... HE'S BEHIND BARS. THE WORST DRUNK DRIVER IN THE STATE IS STILL 54 YEAR OLD BILLY BLEA OF BELEN -- A STAGGERING 16 DWI CONVICTIONS FROM HIS 23 ARRESTS. TO THE BEST OF OUR KNOWLEDGE -- BLEA IS A FREE MAN TONIGHT. WE'VE POSTED THE LIST OF THE 300 WORST DRUNK DRIVERS IN THE STATE ON OUR WEBSITE, KOB-DOT- COM ... JUST CLICK ON FOUR LINKS. BY THE WAY -- A JUDGE COULD HAVE YANKED RODARTE'S LICENSE FOR GOOD AFTER HIS 4TH...5TH...6TH... 7TH OR 8TH DWI CONVICTION -- BUT AS YOU SAW -- THAT HASN'T HAPPENED. REPORTING LIVE IN OLD TOWN, EKEYWN4.  « Less