Eldor Akilov
A Florida man convicted of driving drunk and causing a 2020 crash that killed a father of four from Des Plaines and seriously injured his 10-year-old son has been sentenced to 14 years in prison.
Eldor Akilov, 38, was not present at his sentencing hearing, and has been a fugitive since September, when he failed to appear in Cook County court on the second day of his trial.
In his absence, a jury convicted Akilov of aggravated DUI causing death and aggravated DUI causing great bodily harm.
Authorities say Akilov was driving more than 50 mph over the 35 mph speed limit on Jan. 5, 2020, when his vehicle struck 46-year-old Alejandro Arzeta’s car on Route 83 near Golf Road in Des Plaines.
Arzeta and his son, Alejandro Arzeta Jr., were pulling out of a shopping center parking lot when the defendant’s car T-boned their vehicle, according to a witness. Authorities say Arzeta died at the scene with his son draped across his lap.
“He (Akilov) never even hit the brakes,” Assistant Cook County State’s Attorney Nancy Nazarian said during Akilov’s trial in September.
Medical personnel testified Akilov had a blood-alcohol level of .220, nearly three times the legal limit of .08, when they treated him in the Endeavor Northwest Community Hospital emergency room following the crash.
Authorities say Akilov’s car spun and caught fire, prompting two teenage employees from a nearby Boston Market, Ben Pennino and Ryan Brock, to race from the restaurant to pull him from his burning vehicle. Pennino and Brock subsequently received lifesaving awards from the Mount Prospect Fire Department for their heroic actions.