A Waukegan man was sentenced to three years of periodic imprisonment for driving under the influence when he crashed into a building in Beach Park in 2019, killing his 23-year-old passenger.
Juan C. Aguiar, 39, of the 1100 block of Mary Jane Lane in Waukegan, was charged in January 2020 with two counts of aggravated driving under the influence of alcohol, aggravated driving under the influence of drugs and aggravated driving under the combined influence of alcohol and drugs.
The Lake County Sheriff’s Office was called around 2:30 a.m. on May 12, 2019, to Green Bay Road and Kenosha Road in Beach Park for a single-vehicle crash.
Lake County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Chief Christopher Covelli said at the time that a red 2014 Nissan Altima, driven by Aguiar, was traveling southbound on Kenosha Road when the man failed to yield at the stop sign at Green Bay Road.
The car crossed Green Bay Road, struck an embankment and then hit the Benton Township Assessor’s Office building, located at 40020 North Green Bay Road. The Nissan suffered heavy damage.
Aguiar was transported to Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville by a Flight For Life medical helicopter with life-threatening injuries, Covelli said.
The front seat passenger, a 23-year-old Lake Geneva, Wisconsin man, was transported to Vista East Medical Center with non-life-threatening injuries.
The back seat passenger, Oscar Ambriz, 23, of Round Lake Beach, was pronounced dead at the scene.
The Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office approved the charges against Aguiar, who was driving under the influence of cocaine and alcohol, toxicology results showed.
Court records show Aguiar entered into a negotiated plea deal with the Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office on April 13.
Aguiar pleaded guilty to aggravated driving under the influence of alcohol causing death in exchange for the rest of his charges being dismissed.
Lake County Judge James Booras sentenced Aguiar on Wednesday to 36 months of periodic imprisonment in the Lake County Jail and 48 months of probation.
Aguiar will be allowed to go to work during his three-year sentence. He will also be required to perform 200 hours of public service.
Aguiar will not be allowed to consume alcohol, cannabis or any illegal drugs.
He will also be required to undergo counseling and be on a curfew during his probation.
Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office spokesperson Steve Spagnolo said prosecutors presented information in aggravation and hoped the judge would sentence Aguiar to the Illinois Department of Corrections, but the office respects Booras’ sentence.