PENDER COUNTY, N.C. (WECT) – A 36-year-old man has been sentenced to prison for habitual driving while impaired.
According to the office of District Attorney Jason Smith (DA), Jesus Santivanez was convicted of one count of Habitual DWI, a Class F felony, on Oct. 29.
The DA said he was found asleep at the wheel of a car stopped in the right lane of I-40 in December 2025 after witnesses reported the hazard. Officers smelled alcohol, conducted field sobriety tests and arrested him. Santivanez registered a 0.18% BAC on an initial breath test before refusing further testing.
Santivanez was previously convicted of at least three prior misdemeanor DWIs in other jurisdictions in the past 10 years.
“Impaired drivers put everyone’s safety at risk,” said Smith. “When defendants are not responsive to convictions that lead to a term of probation, a term in prison is the next appropriate step.”
Santivanez was sentenced to 17 to 30 months in prison.
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