Elgin man who bit off part of finger in fight gets jail, probation
An Elgin man accused of biting off part of another man's finger during a fight in late 2017 has been sentenced to jail time, probation and ordered to undergo an evaluation.
Gabriel Garcia-Garcia, 41, of the 300 block of Cornell Lane, pleaded guilty to felony aggravated battery causing great bodily harm in Kane County court late last week, according to court records.
Under the plea agreement, which was accepted by Judge John Barsanti, prosecutors dismissed less severe charges against Garcia-Garcia of felony DUI and other offenses in exchange for the guilty plea.
Under the agreement, he was sentenced to 180 days in jail and two years of probation, and ordered to undergo an evaluation at the Kane County Diagnostic Center and follow treatment recommendations. He also must pay $1,650 in court costs and fines, records show.
According to the Kane County Sheriff's Office and court records, Garcia-Garcia was involved in a fight in the garage of a home on the 37W500 block of Big Timber Road near Elgin.
Garcia-Garcia was drinking with some other men in a garage when he began to get "rowdy," according to the sheriff's office. A man tried to restrain Garcia-Garcia, but he punched the man in the face and the two wrestled on the ground until Garcia-Garcia bit off about one-inch of the man's left index finger.
The victim and another person retrieved the severed finger and drove to Advocate Sherman Hospital and deputies were called to investigate, according to sheriffs' report. At the time, authorities said it did not appear doctors were able to reattach the finger; an inquiry to the Kane County state's attorney's office Monday was not immediately returned.
Meanwhile, Garcia-Garcia drove away from the garage where the fight occurred, but was arrested after he struck an orange barrier and a utility pole near Walnut Avenue and South Street in Elgin, according to court records.
He was charged with felony DUI for driving without a license or insurance and a chemical test showed his blood-alcohol concentration to be .18; the legal threshold in Illinois is .08.
Garcia-Garcia was ordered to be released from jail as he served more than 200 days since his arrest in early December 2017.
If he violates his probation, he could be resentenced to up to five years in prison.