Grayslake woman admits impaired driving
A Grayslake woman admitted Tuesday she was driving with marijuana in her system when she struck and killed a Round Lake Beach teen earlier this year.
Desiree Britt, 22, was sentenced to the maximum penalty of one year in jail after pleading guilty to driving under the influence of a trace amount of drugs.
Because of time she has already served since April 23 on other charges, the sentence imposed by Associate Judge Joseph Waldeck effectively amounts to about an additional month in jail for Britt.
The family of Alonzo De La Torre, who was 17 when he was struck by Britt's car while jogging on Hainesville Road, said they were dissatisfied with the outcome of the case.
"I am not happy," Rudy De La Torre said after the court hearing. "What happened to her did not have anything to do with my brother's death, and no one who was there got to come in and testify against her."
Lake County Assistant State's Attorney Suzanne Willett said she sympathized with De La Torre's family, but defended the prosecution of the case.
"We do not for a moment discount the tragedy that was Alonzo De La Torre's death," Willett said. "Unfortunately, under the circumstances of this situation, this was the most serious charge we could have filed and we obtained the maximum sentence."
De La Torre was killed Jan. 24 when he was struck by Britt's car, and an investigation by the Lake County Major Crash Assistance Team determined De La Torre was in the center of Britt's lane when he was struck.
Britt had a small amount of marijuana and a pipe with her at the time, and her 2-year-old daughter was in the vehicle as well.
Authorities charged her with the DUI offense, as well as possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia and child endangerment.
Police say Britt admitted she had smoked marijuana a few hours before the crash, and a blood test essentially confirmed that.
The offenses triggered complications in Britt's court history, because at the time of De La Torre's death she was on probation for a 2007 battery conviction.
Part of the sentencing order in that case required Britt to perform 200 hours of public service and included a 120-day stayed jail sentence.
On April 23, the stay on the jail sentence was lifted when Britt tested positive for marijuana use after the crash in which De La Torre was killed.
Last week, Britt was sentenced to an additional 30 days in jail for violating her probation by performing only 28 hours of the public service.
Although the sentence imposed Tuesday is one year, Britt is entitled to credit for any time she has already served, and normal good behavior credit would reduce Tuesday's sentence to six months.
She agreed to plead guilty Tuesday after prosecutors said they would drop all other charges pending against her, including a domestic battery charge unrelated to De La Torre's death.