Three men received prison sentences of at least 10 years between May and August in Lexington County for DUI offenses that led to three deaths in 2020 and 2021.

According to the 11th Circuit Solicitor’s Office, Jonathon Robert Ackiss (38 from Lexington), Christian Jesus Luna (29 from Oconee County) and Arcenio Perez Maldonado (34 from Gaston) were each convicted of felony DUI involving death and respectively sentenced to 10, 12 and 15 years.

“The period between Memorial Day and Labor Day is often referred to as the 100 Deadly Days of Summer. However, the following cases all occurred outside of that time period,” the solicitor’s office writes in a release. “Sadly, these crimes occurred throughout the year and resulted from individuals making the poor choice to drive after consuming alcohol or drugs. 

“The deaths of Galen Manapat, Michael Costner, and Dillan Roldan should not have happened. We hope that remembering them will convince others to make better choices not only during the 100 Deadly Days of Summer, but throughout the entire year. “

All three offenders were transported to the state Department of Corrections to begin serving their sentences.

According to the release, Ackiss was sentenced by Circuit Court Judge Walton McLeod IV in May after pleading guilty and was given credit for time served prior to his release on bond and for the time he was under home detention with electronic monitoring. He was convicted following a 2020 crash that caused the death of Galen Manapat, 73.

“On Friday, October 23, 2020, at approximately 5:30 p.m., Ackiss’ Kia Optima failed to yield the right of way when attempting to make a left turn from Platt Springs Road on to McLee Road causing Galen [Manapat]’s scooter to collide into the Kia,” the release states. “Galen was wearing a helmet, however, he passed away at the scene due to his injuries. When investigators spoke with Ackiss on an ambulance they observed the strong odor of an alcoholic beverage coming from him. Investigators also found numerous open and unopened containers of alcoholic beverages in his vehicle.

“Officers were able to obtain a blood sample from Ackiss pursuant to a search warrant approximately three and half hours after the collision and it was later determined that Ackiss had a blood alcohol level of .216 in addition to a quantity of THC.”

The release notes that Manapat served in the U.S. Navy, and after retiring as an HVAC technician at the University of South Carolina School of Medicine, he worked as an activity school bus driver for Lexington County school District 1. 

According to the release, Luna was sentenced by McLeod in July after pleading guilty and was also given credit for time served prior to his release on bond and for the time he was under home detention with electronic monitoring. He was convicted following a 2020 crash that caused the death of Michael Costner, 48.

“On Saturday, February 20, 2021, at approximately 1:55 a.m., Luna’s Dodge Challenger slammed into the rear end of the Dodge Caravan driven by Michael, which had slowed down for construction on Interstate 26 westbound near the 91-mile marker. Michael passed away at the scene as a result of the injuries he suffered from the collision,” the release states. “Michael was wearing a seat belt when the crash occurred. Two passengers in Michael’s vehicle were also injured in the collision. When troopers spoke with Luna, they observed the strong odor of an alcoholic beverage. Luna admitted to consuming four or five beers.”

Investigation by the South Carolina Highway Patrol’s MAIT Team determined that Luna was going 127 mph five seconds prior to his airbag deploying and 81 mph .1 seconds prior to his airbag deploying. Costner was going 2 mph .1 seconds prior to his airbag deploying.

“Approximately an hour and a half after the collision, Luna was offered a breath test and his sample was .19,” the release states. “Approximately three hours after the collision, a sample of Luna’s blood was obtained pursuant to a search warrant and it was later determined that Luna had a blood alcohol level of .178.”

The release notes that Costner worked as a bail bondsman and fugitive recovery agent.

According to the release, Maldonado was sentenced Aug. 15 by Chief Administrative Judge Debra McCaslin after pleading guilty. He was convicted following a 2021 crash that caused the death of 15-year-old Dillan Roldan.

“On Friday, February 5, 2021, at approximately 7:20 p.m., Perez Maldonado’s Toyota Tacoma crossed over the centerline of SC-6, sideswiping a Toyota Sequoia causing the Sequoia to collide with a Chevrolet Cobalt driven by Cindy Olson,” the release states. “Cindy’s son, Dillan Roldan, a student at Pelion High School, suffered catastrophic injuries that required that he be airlifted to Prisma Health Richland. Dillan died as a result of his injuries on February 11, 2022. Cindy reported to law enforcement that she could smell beer on the breath of Perez Maldonado. Officers initially charged Perez Maldonado with Felony Driving Under the Influence, Great Bodily Injury Results. However, upon learning of Dillan’s death, law enforcement upgraded his original charge to this more serious charge.

“In the course of the investigation, Perez Maldonado’s blood sample was obtained pursuant to a search warrant approximately three and a half hours after the collision and it was later determined that he had a blood alcohol level of .187.”