'We didn't get justice': Questions surround charges filed in Natrona girl's death

For almost a year, Heather Bonnoni has known the name of the man she feels is responsible for her niece’s death.

She kept it secret on the advice of legal experts as they sought “full justice” for 11-year-old Roxanne Bonnoni, who died after being run over by a vehicle on Aug. 20 in Harrison’s Natrona neighborhood.

“It took everything in me to not release his name,” Heather Bonnoni said. “I don’t know why it’s been so hush-hush. We didn’t get justice.”

Allegheny County Police on Wednesday charged Jeffrey Glowatski, 65, of Harrison with three counts of DUI and two counts of careless driving in connection with the incident.

Glowatski’s blood-alcohol level was 0.15% when recorded at 11:41 p.m., about four hours after the collision, according to the police criminal complaint. That’s almost twice Pennsylvania’s legal limit of 0.08%.

He is not charged with causing Roxanne Bonnoni’s death, which was a decision made by Allegheny County District Attorney Stephen Zappala’s office.

University of Pittsburgh law professor David Harris said that, in general, decisions about what charges are appropriate should be driven by the evidence and what the prosecution thinks it can prove in court.

“The ethical rule is they should not bring any case that they don’t feel they can prove without a reasonable doubt,” Harris said.

A number of factors have to be weighed when deciding what charges to file, he said. Those considerations can lead to charges that don’t seem logical to the general public.

“Whatever the reason is, it would be a good thing for the public to know,” Harris said.

So far, neither the district attorney’s office nor Allegheny County Police have offered details on what prevented vehicular homicide charges in the case.

“Based on the evidence, the case has been appropriately charged,” said Emma Federkeil, communications director for Zappala’s office, in an email to TribLive on Thursday.

Attorney Brian Catanzarite from MBM Law in Pittsburgh spent nearly two decades at the district attorney’s office. He said proving a charge of homicide by vehicle, beyond a reasonable doubt, can be very difficult.

“We have to look at the totality of the circumstances,” Catanzarite said. “You have to prove gross negligence. You have to show the actual inebriation caused the death.

“Did someone miss a stop sign because they were drunk, or did they just miss a stop sign? Did they miss it while going 80 mph?”

Investigating a crash like the one in Natrona is arduous and time-consuming, he said. Videos are dissected to find minute details; witness statements are collected and reviewed.

Prosecutors and investigators have countless discussions.

“Prosecutors have an ethical duty, and we want to make sure we’re getting it right,” Catanzarite said.

Pam Ondash, a volunteer with Mothers Against Drunk Drivers advocacy group in Pittsburgh, disagrees.

“It makes no sense,” Ondash said. “If your blood-alcohol level is almost two times the legal limit, there’s no way you can stop that vehicle.

“MADD is very concerned about this case.”

Ondash said her group has worked with victims’ families and offenders to show the staggering effects of intoxication. There are goggles that mimic diminished reflexes and blurred vision depending on varying blood-alcohol levels.

“People are amazed. You don’t notice the transition when you’re drinking because it’s gradual over time,” she said.

Glowatski is scheduled to have a preliminary hearing at 1:30 p.m. Sept. 24 in District Judge Carolyn Bengel’s courtroom in Brackenridge.

Natrona resident George Hohman will be following the case. He was a witness to the collision while driving home that night.

Hohman is outraged by the charges that he feels are not proportional when weighed against a girl’s death.

“It was so awful. I couldn’t sleep that night,” Hohman said. “To think he’s just getting a slap on the wrist is just too much.”