Crystal Lake man gets four years in prison for 5th DUI

A Crystal Lake man who explained his five convictions for driving under the influence by saying, "I like to drink," was sentenced Thursday to four years in a place where that shouldn't be an option.

Herardo A. Gutierrez, 50, of the 1800 block of South Street, received the sentence from a McHenry County judge who suggested a prison stay might be just what he needs.

"I think the penitentiary has the ability to focus the attention of those sent there, and perhaps will be able to do that in relation to this defendant's abuse of alcohol," Judge Joseph Condon said.

Gutierrez latest conviction, the result of a January guilty plea, stems from his June 4, 2009, arrest for DUI on Route 176 in Island Lake. Court records indicate police believed he was driving with a blood-alcohol level more than twice the legal limit when an officer pulled him over early that morning.

His prior DUIs date back to a 1994 conviction in Lee County, Texas, followed by two convictions in Boone County and a 2007 case in McHenry County.