Drunk driver gets seven years for death of 10-year-old in Rogers Park
BY RUMMANA HUSSAIN Criminal Courts Reporter/rhussain@suntimes.com June 28, 2011 7:46PM
Updated: June 28, 2011 8:13PM
Bulmaro Santos saved his late son’s bicycle and the pajamas the 10-year-old soccer fan son wore before he was crushed to death in a drunken driving accident last year in Rogers Park.
But some memories were “too painful” Santos said in his victim impact statement Tuesday, explaining why he moved his family from the Estes Avenue apartment that overlooked the park where Calvin played.
“We held many of his birthday parties at that park. That view is a constant reminder of the pain we carry,” wrote Santos, who cradled his son as he struggled to breathe on May 29, 2010.
On Tuesday, Cook County Judge William T. O’Brien in Skokie sentenced the man responsible for Calvin’s death to seven years in prison after the defendant pleaded guilty to aggravated driving under the influence.
Martin Candia, 31, had also been charged with reckless homicide upon his arrest.
He was also cited for running through a red light, driving on a suspended license, driving without insurance, failure to keep in lanes, failure to reduce speed, and transportation of possession of alcohol in a motor vehicle.
Calvin was with Santos and his then 3-year-old sister as they made their way to their aunt’s house before the early morning accident in the 6900 block of North Ashland Boulevard, Santos said in the statement read by assistant state’s attorney William Kelly.
Calvin was crushed between a parked black Ford Explorer and a parked white Toyota SR5 when a red van driven by Candia hit the Ford, authorities said.
Candia, of the 1500 block of West Fargo, registered a blood-alcohol level of .109 — which is above the .08 legal limit, prosecutors said.
Police also found two empty beer bottles in Candia’s van following the crash, court records indicated.
Santos said he caught pneumonia after Calvin died and has since developed diabetes.
Calvin liked to protect people and dreamed of becoming an FBI agent, Santos said.
“He was very conscientious. So much so that he would turn on the air conditioning in my room prior to me arriving from work as he knew I did not like the heat,” Santos said in his statement.
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