Today, District Attorney Cassandra Jenecke announced that on March 5, 2025, Loren Mears, formerly of Sonora, was denied parole for three years from 2017 conviction and 15-years-to-life sentence for Vehicular Manslaughter While Intoxicated in violation of Penal Code section 191.5(a) with a prior conviction for Driving Under the Influence Causing Injury in violation of Vehicle Code section 23153(a). Board of Parole Hearings Commissioner Catherine Purcell and Deputy Commissioner Christopher Vose presided over Mears’ first subsequent parole hearing. The hearing lasted about 3 hours. The People of Tuolumne County were represented at the parole hearing by District Attorney Cassandra Jenecke.
The facts of the case arose from a driving under the influence of drugs crash on October 28, 2014. Having consumed methamphetamine, marijuana, Alprazolam, and Temazepam, Mears chose to erratically drive his 92-year-old father and wife on local roads at high-speeds. Mears eventually lost control of his vehicle, causing it to travel up an embankment and overturn on Campo Seco Road. Mears’ father was ejected, suffered major injuries, and later died from those injuries. Mears’ wife also suffered broken bones as a result of the collision. A nearby resident reported that Mears was nearly incoherent at the scene. He was later determined to be under the influence of multiple drugs. The defendant had previously been convicted of driving under the influence of alcohol causing injury to Mears’ wife in 2003.
A state clinician’s Comprehensive Risk Assessment (CRA) rated Mears’ risk for future violence at a moderate-medium category, which was the same rating he received in 2020. This indicated that Mears’ risk to the community had not abated in the last five years despite his attempts at pro-social programming. After an extensive hearing where Mears provided testimony, the Commissioners unanimously voted to deny Mears parole for an additional three years. They noted concerns about Mears’ (1) moderate-medium risk assessment demonstrating a lack of insight and awareness of his risk to the community, (2) extensive substance abuse criminal history including his self-admitted and daily driving under the influence, (3) inadequate parole plans, (4) lack of clear, consistent and substantial offender change, and (5) the belief that he had not truly internalize his substance abuse relapse risk.
While Mears’ was denied parole for three years, this decision will be reviewed by the Governor’s Office. Under current parole hearing law, either Mears or the Board of Parole Hearings may advance his hearing after he serves one additional year.
For more information, contact District Attorney Cassandra Jenecke at (209) 588-5450 or da@tuolumnecounty.ca.gov.
