Crime & Safety
Inver Grove Heights Woman Pleads Guilty to Criminal Vehicular Homicide
Cassandra Balsimo, 28, admitted to drinking before driving the SUV that flipped over and ultimately caused the death of her passenger. Balsimo is scheduled to be sentenced in Feb. 2012.
An Inver Grove Heights woman pleaded guilty today to criminal vehicular homicide in connection with an automobile crash that took the life of her 27-year-old passenger.
According to a statement from the Dakota County attorney's office, Cassandra Balsimo, 28, admitted to drinking wine prior to driving. During the accident, Balsimo's vehicle "flipped over several times," causing the death of Brenda Del Carmen Perez Lafarga.
The accident occured around 2:30 a.m. on Sept. 12, 2010 at the junction of Interstate 35E and Lone Oak Road. According to the statement, a post-arrest investigation revealed Balsimo's blood alcohol level to be 0.18.
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The legal blood alcohol limit in Minnesota is 0.08. Dakota County Judge Richard Spicer set sentencing for Feb. 21 in Hastings.
Maximum Minnesota sentencing guidelines call for 48 months in prison.
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