Alleged drunk driver in fatal Napa County crash has 3 prior DUI convictions

NAPA, Calif. - The alleged drunk driver charged with murder in a Napa County crash that killed six passengers and injured another has three prior DUI convictions, according to court records. Two of the six men killed in the crash have now been identified. 

The Napa County District Attorney’s Office said 53-year-old Norberto Celerino of Stockton had DUI convictions in San Joaquin County in 2020 and 2024. He also has a third DUI conviction, though details were not released because the case is more than 10 years old. He also didn't have a valid driver's license. 

Charges filed

What we know:

Celerino was charged Tuesday with six counts of murder, six counts of gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated and one count of DUI in Sunday's crash that happened in the unincorporated town of Pope Valley.

Victims identified

The Napa County Coroner's Office identified two of the six men who died in the crash on Sunday. A total of eight men were in the minivan. Officials said six of the victims died at the scene and the other two men were taken to hospitals. 

On Tuesday, the coroner's office identified Loreto Ricardo Hernandez, 42, of the Stockton area and Fernando Silverio, 34, also from the Stockton area, as two of the victims who were killed. Hernandez's daughter told KTVU he was a "very caring person who would put other people before him."

 The Napa County Sheriff's Office said they believe all the men who died in the crash were farmworkers who reside in or near Stockton. They said it could take days to notify the victims' next of kin. 

Driver veered off the road

What they're saying:

The California Highway Patrol said the crash happened just before 6 p.m. in the area of 6198 Pope Valley Road. Officers found a Toyota minivan that had veered off the road and struck a tree.

Eight people were inside the van. Six passengers died at the scene. Celerino and another passenger were airlifted to a hospital with major injuries. The CHP said they did not believe any children were in the vehicle.

Signs of intoxication

Celerino was placed under arrest at the hospital. Arrest records indicate he had watery, red eyes, slurred speech and an odor of alcohol on his breath when officers contacted him at the scene of the crash. Authorities said he admitted to drinking earlier in the day.

Officials have not released the names of the six people killed in the crash. No other vehicles were involved.