Glendale Heights man pleads guilty to aggravated DUI

A Glendale Heights man Thursday pleaded guilty to two counts of aggravated DUI in connection with a March 2019 fatal drunken driving crash.

Adrian Velasco, 23, of the 500 block of Gregory Avenue, faces a sentence of between six and 28 years in prison. If he can demonstrate to the court that extraordinary conditions exist, he could be sentenced to probation, according to a Kane County State’s Attorney’s Office news release.

Kane County Assistant State’s Attorney Mark D. Stajdohar stated in court that early the morning of March 19, 2019, Velasco was under the influence of alcohol while he was driving a 2012 Honda Accord in Elgin. A passenger was riding in the front passenger seat.

Shortly after 1:40 a.m., as Velasco was driving west on Summit Street at Dundee Avenue at a speed of approximately 75 mph in a posted 30 mph zone, the Honda crashed into a 2018 Nissan that was stopped in a business exit and waiting to turn onto Summit Street, the release stated.

Omar Zavala, 30, who was a passenger in the Nissan, was pronounced dead at the scene. The Nissan driver, Norieli Villagomez, 26, was ejected from the vehicle. She was taken to a local hospital, where she was pronounced dead a few hours later.

The passenger in Velasco’s vehicle sustained serious injuries.

Velasco’s blood-alcohol concentration was .271. Velasco’s passenger told police that Velasco had been “driving all crazy,” was “too drunk to drive,” and had consumed Everclear grain alcohol as well as beer, according to the release.

Police said that Velasco had open alcohol in the car, appeared to be in a stupor, fell asleep while being transported to the hospital and vomited at the hospital.

He remains in custody at the Kane County jail, where he had been held in lieu of $500,000 bail since his arrest. Velasco’s next court appearance is Dec. 11 for sentencing.