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Mars principal faces 2nd DUI

A Mars Area School District principal, charged with his second DUI in 10 years, remains on sabbatical from the district.

Collier Township Police on June 14 filed misdemeanor second-offense driving under the influence charges against Dale Sleva Jr., 48, of Presto, Allegheny County, related to a June 10 traffic stop on Washington Pike at its intersection with Thoms Run Road in Presto.

Sleva is a principal at the Mars Area Primary Center, which educates children in kindergarten and first grades.

Sleva has been medical sabbatical since Aug. 15, which the district announced in a statement Aug. 18.

District officials said a substitute is expected to serve in the capacity until January, and Sleva is expected to return in the first semester of 2023.

According to charging documents, police stopped Sleva around 12:29 a.m. June 10. Police allege he ran a red light.

“Mr. Sleva had thicker and slightly slurred speech, glassy eyes and an odor of alcohol coming from the vehicle,” police said in the affidavit.

Police said they asked Sleva to step out of the vehicle for field sobriety tests, and he ultimately showed signs of impairment.

“Once out of the vehicle, Mr. Sleva continued to ask for me to let him go home,” police said.

According to police, a preliminary breath test showed Sleva’s blood-alcohol content at 0.120%. In Pennsylvania, the legal limit is 0.08%.

Police said Sleva later agreed to have his blood tested, the result of which were not detailed in the affidavit.

Sleva’s case has progressed to the Allegheny Count Common Pleas Court, where he was last arraigned Friday, Sept. 9.

In 2019, Sleva was charged with a first-offense DUI in Allegheny County by Franklin Park Police. According to public court records, the results of that case are unclear, but it is listed as closed.

Sleva is scheduled to appear Oct. 5 in county court.

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