A Round Lake Beach man has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for fleeing 123 mph from police and causing a rollover crash that killed two people in Round Lake.
Jose S. Aguirre, 30, of Round Lake Beach, was found guilty in June on nine counts of aggravated driving under the influence, a Class 2 felony.
Prosecutors said a Round Lake police officer attempted to stop Aguirre for speeding in his white Chevrolet Traverse around 3:20 a.m. on September 27, 2020.
Aguirre refused to stop and the officer briefly chased him but terminated the pursuit when the Chevrolet reached speeds of 123 mph in a 45-mph zone, prosecutors said.
Shortly after, the officer came upon the Chevrolet which had crashed into a wooded area and rolled over near Route 134 and Main Street in Round Lake.
Juan Renteria-Becerra, 34, and Edgar Herrera, 30, were both passengers in the Chevrolet and were pronounced dead at the scene.
A third passenger – Jorge Trevino, 32 – sustained non-life-threatening injuries.
Aguirre was seriously injured and was flown by a medical helicopter to the hospital.
Prosecutors said the Lake County Major Crash Assistance Team (MCAT) determined Aguirre was the driver of the vehicle when he lost control of the vehicle, left the roadway and entered the wooded area, striking several trees and rolling over, before coming to a rest on its roof.
An arrest warrant was issued for Aguirre in October 2021. Police finally arrested the man in late December 2022.
He has been held in the Lake County Jail on a $1 million bond. The bond was set before the SAFE-T Act went into effect.
A jury trial at the Lake County Courthouse lasted four days in June.
Aguirre chose to testify on the last day of the trial and denied being the driver of the vehicle.
Prosecutors said eyewitnesses saw Aguirre get into the driver’s seat and state witnesses testified that the injuries Aguirre suffered were consistent with him being the driver.
A sentencing hearing was held Friday and Assistant State’s Attorney Ryan Koehl and Assistant State’s Attorney Eduardo Zermeno argued during the hearing that Aguirre’s behavior on the night of the crash was “extremely reckless and selfish.”
Prosecutors asked for Aguirre to be sentenced to at least 18 years in prison and said that he showed a “complete disregard for the safety” of the passengers in the vehicle when he made the decision to flee police.
Lake County Judge Christopher Lombardo sentenced Aguirre to 10 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections. The man faced six to 28 years in prison.
Lake County State’s Attorney Eric Rinehart said he was disappointed in the sentence but said it sends the correct message that dangerous drivers will be held accountable in Lake County.
“And we continue to grieve with the victims over this horrific crime. We will support them and continue our work with our community partners such as schools, the Health Department, and Alliance Against Intoxicated Motorists to increase awareness and save lives. I want to continue to thank our experienced trial team and victim-support professionals for their work and their assistance to the impacted families,” Rinehart said.
The judge revoked Aguirre’s bond following the sentencing. Aguirre will be required to serve the sentence at 85% and will receive 611 days of credit for time served.