10 years in prison for man who fled from police at 123 miles per hour and caused an accident that killed 2 people in Round Lake

A Round Lake Beach man has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for fleeing police at 129 mph (208 km/h) and causing a rollover crash that killed two people.

Jose S. Aguirre, 30, of Round Lake Beach, was found guilty in June of nine counts of driving under the influence, a Class 2 felony.

Prosecutors said a Round Lake police officer attempted to stop Aguirre for speeding in his white Chevrolet Traverse at around 3:20 a.m. on Sept. 27, 2020.

Aguirre refused to stop and the officer briefly pursued him, but called off the pursuit when the Chevrolet reached speeds of 123 mph in a 45 mph zone, prosecutors said.

Shortly thereafter, the officer came across the Chevrolet, which had crashed into a wooded area and overturned near Route 134 and Main Street in Round Lake.

Juan Renteria-Becerra, 34, and Edgar Herrera, 30, were both passengers in the Chevrolet and were pronounced dead at the scene.

A third passenger – Jorge Trevino, 32 – suffered non-life-threatening injuries.

Aguirre was seriously injured and flown to hospital by rescue helicopter.

Prosecutors said the Lake County Major Crash Assistance Team (MCAT) determined that Aguirre was the driver of the vehicle when he lost control of his vehicle, left the road and entered a wooded area, where he struck several trees and rolled over before coming to rest on his roof.

In October 2021, an arrest warrant was issued against Aguirre.At the end of December 2022, the police finally arrested the man.

He is being held in the Lake County Jail on $1 million bail, which was set before the SAFE-T Act was enacted.

A jury trial at the Lake County Courthouse lasted four days in June.

Aguirre chose to testify on the final day of the trial and denied being the driver of the vehicle.

Prosecutors said eyewitnesses saw Aguirre get into the driver's seat and state witnesses testified that the injuries Aguirre sustained suggested he was the driver.

A sentencing hearing was held on Friday, and Assistant District Attorney Ryan Koehl and Deputy District Attorney Eduardo Zermeno argued during the hearing that Aguirre's conduct on the night of the accident was “extremely reckless and selfish.”

Prosecutors called for a prison sentence of at least 18 years for Aguirre, saying he had “completely disregarded the safety of the vehicle's occupants” in his decision to flee from police.

Lake County Judge Christopher Lombardo sentenced Aguirre to 10 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections. The man faced six to 28 years in prison.

Lake County Attorney Eric Rinehart expressed disappointment with the verdict, but said it sends the right message that dangerous drivers in Lake County will be held accountable.

“And we continue to grieve with the victims over this horrific crime. We will support them and continue our work with our community partners such as schools, the health department and the Alliance Against Intoxicated Motorists to raise awareness and save lives. I want to continue to thank our experienced litigation team and victim assistance professionals for their work and support of the families affected,” Rinehart said.

After the verdict was announced, the judge revoked Aguirre's bail. Aguirre must serve 85% of his sentence and receive credit for 611 days served.