COMAL COUNTY -- A Comal County jury sentenced a man to life in prison for DWI.
45-year-old Cornelio Garcia-Mata had already been previously convicted of DWI several times before.
"He had three misdemeanor DWI offenses along with four felony DWI offenses", said Comal County Criminal District Attorney Jennifer Tharp.
His 8th DWI arrest happened last February, when Garcia-Mata was pulled over off I-35 in New Braunfels.
"It was an incredibly dangerous time for innocent people to be out there on the roadway with this highly intoxicated man, " said Tharp.
Since he's a habitual offender he faced 25 years to life in prison for his latest offense.
"We asked the jury to not only sentence this individual appropriately, but also to send a message to the community not only to Comal County, but our surrounding communities that we will not tolerate drinking and driving on the road, " said Tharp.
Garcia-Mata will be eligible for parole in thirty years
