Repeat DUI offender sentenced to 25 years in prison after killing baby in Lexington, SC

A man convicted of driving under the influence involving the death of an 8-week-old has been sentenced to 25 years in prison, the Eleventh Circuit Solicitor’s Office announced Friday.

Charles Wesley Varn, 66, of Lexington County, was convicted Dec. 17 after entering a plea to a felony DUI involving death. Judge Roger M. Young, Sr. gave Varn the maximum sentence; he will not be eligible for parole.

After 9 p.m. on Aug. 13, 2023, Varn was driving a 2017 Toyota Tacoma and “slammed” into the back of a 2007 Saturn Vue on South Carolina Highway 302 near Pelion, causing the Saturn to overturn, according to a news release.

Gabriel Arroyo, an infant in a car seat in the back of the Saturn, died from his injuries.

Varn initially denied drinking, the solicitor’s office said, but later admitted to consuming alcohol, and state troopers investigating the incident determined that Varn was under the influence and found an open container in his car.

Later, a forensic lab by the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division found that his blood alcohol content was 0.194, more than double the level to be considered impaired, officials said. Prescription drugs were also in his system.

Highway Patrol Trooper Clifton Nelson and the Highway Patrol’s Multi-Disciplinary Accident Investigation Team found that Varn was driving at about 100 miles per hour in a 55-mph zone, according to a news release.

During sentencing, Gabriella Lopez, Gabriel’s mother, told the court that the crash has caused “lifetime of grief” for her family.

Along with several other convictions, Varn had six prior DUI convictions between 1986 and 2022.

The case was prosecuted by Eleventh Circuit Senior Assistant Solicitor Todd Wagoner and Assistant Solicitor Bruce Norton.

“While we appreciate that Mr. Varn ultimately accepted responsibility in this case, our hope is that people will choose to be responsible before they get behind the wheel of an automobile by ensuring that they have a safe and sober driver,” Wagoner said after sentencing. “If Charles Varn had made a responsible decision on Aug. 13, 2023, Gabriella Lopez and Camilo Arroyo would have never had to bury their precious son, Gabriel.”

Varn was taken to the S.C. Department of Corrections to begin his sentence.

This story was originally published January 4, 2025 at 4:22 PM.

Alexa Jurado

The State

Alexa Jurado is a news reporter for The State covering Lexington County and Richland County schools. She previously wrote about the University of South Carolina and contributes to this coverage. A Chicago suburbs native, Alexa graduated from Marquette University and previously wrote for publications in Illinois and Wisconsin. Her work has been recognized by the Society of Professional Journalists, the Milwaukee Press Club and the South Carolina Press Association.