Aurora man faces new DUI charge, 12 years after fatal DUI
Aurora police early Monday arrested a 33-year-old man — who previously spent time in prison for a reckless homicide 12 years ago — on charges of aggravated DUI, resisting arrest and fleeing and eluding.
Christopher Perez, of the 2200 block of Jericho Road, Aurora, faces up to seven years in prison on the most serious charge.
Perez was drunk when he flipped a convertible in August 2001, killing his passenger, 54-year-old Willie Pryor of Aurora, according to court documents.
Aurora Police spokesman Dan Ferrelli said an officer tried to pull Perez over at about 1:05 a.m. Monday on Fourth Street between Claim and Liberty streets. Perez, who was driving a 1998 GMC Suburban, kept going and turned east onto Liberty Street.
He jumped out of the SUV while it was still in gear and ran up a driveway on the 200 block of Root Street, Ferrelli said. The SUV continued forward and crashed head-on into a parked, unoccupied 2000 Mitsubishi Galant.
Ferrelli said police arrested Perez after a short foot chase; an officer suffered minor cuts and scapes in the process.
Perez also is charged with aggravated DUI without valid insurance, improper lane use and disregarding a stop sign.
According to court records, Perez entered a “cold plea,” admitting he was drunk when he crashed a 1972 Oldsmobile Cutlass while driving east on Indian Trail Road between Ohio Street and Church Road on Aug. 20, 2001,
In a cold plea, a defendant admits guilt and lets a judge decide the punishment instead of agreeing with prosecutors beforehand on a sentence. Perez got six years in prison.
Authorities determined Perez’s blood alcohol concentration was .107, which is over the legal threshold of .08.
Perez also was on probation at the time for a felony conviction for possession of marijuana with intent to deliver, a felony for which he was sentenced to four years in prison, according to court records.
Perez is next due in court on Wednesday and is being held at the Kane County jail on $75,000 bail, meaning he must post $7,500 to be released while his case is pending.