Man Gets 7-21 Yrs. In Prison For Killing LI Teen In 2021 DWI Crash: DA

MINEOLA, NY — A West Hempstead man was sentenced on Friday to up to 21 years in prison for a 2021 crash on Peninsula Boulevard that killed a teenage passenger, prosecutors said.

Arlin Aguilera, 37, was convicted in August on charges that included aggravated vehicular homicide, second-degree manslaughter, two counts of second-degree assault and two counts of driving while intoxicated.

He was sentenced to 7 to 21 years in prison, Nassau County District Attorney Anne Donnelly said.

"Liel Namdar was excited to be reunited with her friends from summer camp and hopped into the back of the car with them, ready for a fun night ahead. But tragically, Liel never left that car alive, because Arlin Aguilera, drunk and speeding, barreled into the vehicle and killed her," Donnelly said. "Aguilera fled the jurisdiction days before his trial and remained a fugitive from justice until October when he was arrested by the Nassau County Police Department Fugitive Squad and U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force."

On the evening of December 11, 2021, Aguilera was driving over 70 miles per hour while intoxicated in a 2014 RAM 1500 pickup truck northbound on Peninsula Boulevard, Donnelly said.

Aguilera crashed into an Audi Q5 as it made a turn in front of Aguilera's vehicle.

Fifteen-year-old Liel Namdar suffered severe head trauma and was killed in the collision. The vehicle of the Audi was seriously injured, suffering a severe traumatic brain injury. Three additional teenage passengers in the Audi also sustained various injuries, Donnelly said.

"Drunk driving continues to be an epidemic on our roadways, and NCDA remains focused on educating drivers about the perils of driving while impaired and holding drivers accountable for flouting our laws and endangering our streets," Donnelly added.