Warsaw man sentenced to prison for habitual DWI in Pender County

PENDER COUNTY, NC (WWAY) — A Warsaw man has been sentenced to prison after being convicted of habitual driving while impaired in Pender County.

Jesus Santivanez, 36, was convicted Oct. 29 of habitual DWI, a Class F felony. He was sentenced to between 17 and 30 months in prison.

According to the District Attorney’s Office, Santivanez was driving on Interstate 40 during the early morning hours of Dec. 7, 2025, when he stopped his vehicle in the right lane.

A witness called police, while another driver pulled over and used a flashlight to warn approaching motorists of the potential danger.

When officers arrived, they found Santivanez asleep and hunched over the steering wheel. Officers reported smelling alcohol coming from the vehicle and suspected he was impaired.

Following field sobriety tests, Santivanez was arrested for DWI. Prosecutors said an Intoxilyzer test showed a blood alcohol concentration of 0.18, more than twice North Carolina’s legal limit of 0.08.

Authorities said subsequent breath tests were unsuccessful after Santivanez refused to submit to additional testing.

Prosecutors said Santivanez had at least three prior misdemeanor DWI convictions in other jurisdictions within the previous 10 years, allowing the state to pursue a felony habitual DWI charge.

“Impaired drivers put everyone’s safety at risk,” District Attorney Jason W. Smith said. “When defendants are not responsive to convictions that lead to a term of probation, a term in prison is the next appropriate step.”