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Teen convicted of killing a Cal Poly student, arrested for DUI again

May 2, 2022

By JOSH FRIEDMAN

A Los Osos teen who struck and killed a Cal Poly student while driving under the influence in 2017 is back in San Luis Obispo County Jail, where she is being held on charges stemming from an alleged Halloween drunk driving incident in Morro Bay.

On Aug. 29, 2017, Gianna Brencola, then 17, struck the bicycle of Kennedy Love while driving on Foothill Boulevard near Ferrini Road in San Luis Obispo. Following the collision, Brencola and a female passenger fled the scene while Love’s body was lying in the street. Brencola’s blood alcohol level was .14 about five and a half hours after the collision, according to the SLO County District Attorney’s Office.

In 2018, Brencola pleaded no contest to vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated and a hit-and-run causing death. San Luis Obispo County Judge Craig Van Rooyen sentenced Brencola to to seven years in prison.

Brencola was first incarcerated in juvenile hall on Aug. 30, 2018. She then served a stint at the SLO County Jail before spending slightly more than a year and a half in state prison, for a total of three years and seven month of incarceration. She was paroled in Dec. 2019 and discharged from parole in March 2021.

On Oct. 31, 2021, Brencola allegedly struck several parked cars while driving with a blood alcohol level of .32. Morro Bay police officers arrested Brencola for DUI and booked her in the SLO County Jail. At the time, officers were unaware of her prior vehicular manslaughter case, and she was released from jail the following day.

In February, prosecutors filed a DUI charge against Brencola, as well as an enhancement for her prior conviction. Prosecutors also requested a warrant for Brencola’s arrests.

On Feb. 28, Brencola appeared in court for an arraignment hearing. Following the hearing, she was taken into custody and transported to the SLO County Jail, where she remains.


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I guess the CA court system has finally answered that long unanswered question… What is a life worth…. I guess its worth three years and seven months of incarceration….


36

She only served 2 years and 3 months.


-1

This person is clearly a psychopath without remorse and should spend the rest of her miserable life in prison but this is liberal California and she will get many more opportunities to hurt innocent people.


21

She should be in jail for life. She killed a man.


17

3 years 7 months seems pretty short for dui/killing somebody/fleeing the scene. Little more than a year “for each”? Must have been extenuating circumstances, ie cyclist outside the bike lane or the like.


-15

Charge was vehicular manslaughter, dui and felony hit & run.


Prosecutors had asked for 10. The sentence was 7 years. Being let out after 3 years was probably due to good behavior.


18

F.Y. is correct. I am a retired CA State Correctional Officer. Inmates doing negotiated time, and “maximum” time all are eligible for what is called “Time for Time.” It is essentially “time off for good behavior,” and grants you one earlier day of release for every one day you do in custody. To attain this an inmate must either have a job within the prison or go to school, and can not have any serious rule violation reports on file during their stay. This privilege is not available to people doing “mandatory” sentences, life sentences, death penalty, and violent and sexually violent offenses.


33

They should have requested 20.


40

Not unique for SLO, several years ago a young man from a influential family was driving on Price Canyon, high, struck and killed an elderly woman, due to his family’s position this young man didn’t spend a single night in jail and while on probation was allowed to leave the country on a family vacation. Then there are the multiple cases of LEO’s often getting a ride home when pulled over, so this is not unique.


41

Kayaknut this is part of the problem; you bring up a young man from an influential family committed a similar crime as Ms. Brencola and yet you do not mention the family’s name. Why keep the name out of your comment? Why protect that family? The crime should include publicity. Publicity should be a part of a criminal’s sentencing. Protecting a criminal from publicity is just as egregious as the crime the criminal committed. This is as disgusting as the main stream media protecting Hunter Biden. Stop perpetuating the problem.


4

I implied exactly this in a recent article when I reminded retired LEO that his/her badge gets them special treatment. I ended up with 7 downvotes. You have 22 upvotes? You must be from an influential family of kayakers.


14

She actually only served 2 years and 3 months of which 8 months she was in a reentry program the was NOT anything like jail or prison.


0

Kennedy’s family has a lifetime sentence, where is THEIR “get out jail free” card? Lock her up and throw away the key.


16

Exactly and that wasn’t enough of a deterrent for her. She liked my son and that wasn’t enough to stop her from drinking and driving again. I pray the courts will do something this time.


2