What Happened
A 36-year-old Salvadoran man is facing up to seven years in state prison after being convicted of his fourth felony DWI offense in a decade, according to News 12 Long Island, which first reported the verdict on August 10, 2026.
Suffolk County prosecutors say Pablo Aguilar-Alvarez drove drunk to a Southampton gas station with his girlfriend on the evening of November 29, 2025, with the purpose of obtaining more alcohol. While the pair were inside the store, Aguilar-Alvarez’s girlfriend approached a clerk and asked her to call 911 — a pivotal moment that set the police response in motion.
Officers located the vehicle based on the description provided by the clerk. Before conducting a traffic stop, police observed the car run a stop sign and cross the double yellow line. When officers pulled the vehicle over, Aguilar-Alvarez exited through the passenger-side door — a maneuver prosecutors characterized as an apparent attempt to make it appear he had not been the one behind the wheel. The ruse did not succeed.
Aguilar-Alvarez failed field sobriety tests administered at the scene. A breath test registered a blood alcohol content of .17% — more than twice New York’s legal limit of .08%. He was subsequently arrested and charged on multiple counts related to the drunken driving incident.
A jury found Aguilar-Alvarez guilty on multiple charges. As News 12 Long Island reported, prosecutors noted this is his fourth felony DWI conviction in just 10 years. He was previously convicted of DWI in 2022 and twice in 2017. Sentencing is scheduled for October 2, 2026, at which point he could receive up to seven years in state prison.
Compounding the legal picture, prosecutors say Aguilar-Alvarez was deported from the United States in March 2024 following his prior felony convictions. At the time of the November 2025 incident — and at the time of his conviction — he was present in the country illegally.
Location & Road Context
The incident took place in Southampton, a hamlet and township on the South Fork of Suffolk County. The gas station stop and subsequent traffic stop occurred on local roads in the area, where officers observed the vehicle commit multiple moving violations — running a stop sign and drifting across the double yellow center line — before intervening.
Southampton Township roads see significant seasonal traffic volume, particularly during summer months when the Hamptons region draws large numbers of visitors. DWI enforcement is a consistent focus for Suffolk County law enforcement throughout the year.
Investigation & Legal Proceedings
Suffolk County prosecutors brought multiple charges against Aguilar-Alvarez stemming from the November 29, 2025 arrest. A jury returned a guilty verdict on those charges, elevating the offense to a fourth felony DWI — a designation that carries a maximum sentence of seven years under New York State law. Sentencing before a Suffolk County court is set for October 2, 2026.
Prosecutors also confirmed that Aguilar-Alvarez was deported in March 2024 in connection with his prior felony convictions and that he re-entered the country illegally prior to the Southampton incident. That immigration status is a separate matter from the DWI conviction but adds a layer of federal exposure to his overall legal situation.
What This DWI Charge Means
Under New York Vehicle and Traffic Law §1192, driving while impaired by alcohol (DWAI) is triggered at a BAC of .05%–.07%, while a standard DWI requires a BAC of .08% or higher. Aguilar-Alvarez’s .17% reading placed him well into DWI territory — and just one point below the .18% threshold for Aggravated DWI, which carries its own enhanced penalties. Even a first-offense standard DWI in New York carries fines of up to $1,000, a minimum six-month license revocation, a mandatory ignition interlock device, and up to one year in jail. Refusing a chemical breath test results in an automatic one-year license revocation and a $500 civil penalty, independent of any criminal outcome.
For repeat felony offenders, New York’s escalating penalty structure is designed to reflect the compounding danger of each successive offense. A fourth felony DWI — classified as a Class D felony — exposes a defendant to up to seven years in state prison, significantly higher fines, a permanent revocation of driving privileges, and mandatory participation in an alcohol treatment program. The mandatory ignition interlock requirement, should any driving privilege ever be restored, also applies. Aguilar-Alvarez’s four convictions within a 10-year window place him squarely within the most serious tier of repeat DWI offenders under state law.
Case Status & Updates
It is important to note that while Aguilar-Alvarez has been convicted at trial, sentencing has not yet occurred. The formal sentence — up to seven years in state prison — will be handed down at the October 2, 2026 proceeding in Suffolk County court. Long Island Traffic will update this report with the sentencing outcome as it becomes part of the public record.
As a reminder to readers, this report reflects the trial verdict as described by Suffolk County prosecutors and reported by News 12 Long Island. Long Island Traffic tracks DWI cases across Nassau and Suffolk counties through arraignment, plea, and sentencing, and publishes updates as courts make outcomes available.