Elgin man gets 3½ years in prison after admitting fourth DUI

A 47-year-old Elgin man was sentenced to 3½ years in prison Friday after admitting to his fourth DUI after a crash last year.

Laurencio C. Pena Jr., of the 700 block of Joan Court, initially was charged with his sixth DUI offense after a crash on May 7, 2017; a sixth DUI or more is a felony punishable by six to 30 years in prison with no chance of probation.

But new information came to light for prosecutors and it was actually Pena's fourth DUI arrest, also a felony, punishable by three to seven years in prison.

Kane County Judge John Barsanti accepted Pena's guilty plea Friday, which includes a recommendation that Pena have access to alcohol/drug treatment while behind bars. He also must pay $500 in fines and court costs and gets credit for about eight months served at the Kane County jail since his arrest in early May 2017, records show.

Pena was arrested after he crashed his 2002 Chevy Impala while heading east on Route 20, east of Randall Road, according to an Elgin police report. Tests showed Pena's blood-alcohol concentration was .113; the legal threshold for drivers in Illinois is .08.

He also made statements to police that he took a Valium before the crash and used cocaine on a daily basis, according to the police report.

Pena had previous DUI arrests from November 2001 and July 2003 in Kane County, court records show; information on his third DUI arrest was not available.

Under state law, Pena can have his sentence halved for good behavior in prison, meaning after credit for time served is applied, he could be released in about 13 months.