UPDATE (05/31/2023): On May 31, Jose Gordillo-Cansigno was sentenced to 3 years in prison with 1 year suspended for his OWI causing injury charge and was sentenced to 1 year in prison for his leaving the scene of a crime charge. Both sentences will be served consecutively, and Gordillo-Cansigno accrued 38 days of jail credit prior to the sentencing.

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MUNCIE, Ind. — A Muncie man, who investigators say was drunk on tequila and driving without a license when he crashed into another car in 2021, has been convicted by a jury in his OWI case.

A Delaware County jury deliberated for around 20 minutes Wednesday before convicting 44-year-old Muncie man Jose A. Gordillo-Cansigno of several felonies, including causing serious bodily injury while driving intoxicated.

The charges against Gordillo-Cansigno stem from a March 2021 incident where a woman broke her wrist after the car she was in was struck by his vehicle.

Officers with the Muncie Police Department were called around 11:50 p.m. on March 27, 2021, after a driver reported a hit-and-run accident near S. Walnut and W. 8th Street.

Upon arrival, MPD said officers spoke with the driver, who had followed the car that fled to a parking lot near S. Franklin and W. 12th Street. The driver who alerted officers, MPD said, was able to identify the man that hit him.

Police said that the man, later identified as Gordillo-Cansigno, then exited a car parked in the lot where officers were. When speaking with him, officers said Gordillo-Cansigno smelled of alcohol, had watery, red eyes and was slurring his words.

“Jose also admitted to drinking tequila and beer,” court documents filed against Gordillo-Cansigno read. “Jose also admitted to driving the vehicle and the other driver identified him as the driver while on scene.”

When asked for consent to field sobriety tests, Gordillo-Cansigno refused. MPD said he was then taken to Ball Memorial Hospital for a legal blood draw.

When MPD looked into Gordillo-Cansigno’s driving history, it was revealed that he never had a driver’s license. Additionally, a search of his car turned up marijuana.

Gordillo-Cansigno was subsequently arrested and booked into the Delaware County Jail. On Wednesday, he was convicted by a jury of:

  • Causing serious bodily injury when operating a vehicle while intoxicated (Level 5 Felony)
  • Leaving the scene of an accident with serious bodily injury (Level 6 Felony)

His sentencing hearing is set for May 31.

The driver of the car that was hit and followed Gordillo-Cansigno told police on scene that his wife was hurt in the collision. The woman was taken to Ball Memorial Hospital as well and officers were advised that she had broken her wrist during the accident.