FAIR LAWN — A 22-year-old man involved in a violent Fair Lawn home invasion that ended with two stolen luxury SUVs and an injured homeowner has been sentenced to five years in state prison.

Daniel Chipelo was sentenced July 31 by Bergen County Superior Court Judge Kevin Purvin after pleading guilty to first-degree burglary and second-degree theft of a motor vehicle.

The charges were downgraded by one degree as part of a plea agreement, but Purvin made clear he was not convinced Chipelo was on a path toward rehabilitation.

“You have to get your act together,” the judge told him.

Prosecutors said Chipelo was among four men and a juvenile who broke into a Fair Lawn home around 4:30 a.m. March 1, 2025, stealing a black 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee and a black 2023 BMW X5 worth more than $75,000 combined.

When the homeowner attempted to block the suspects from escaping, prosecutors said the men tried to hit him with the stolen vehicles. He dove out of the way and suffered cuts to his knees and legs.

Chipelo received five years for the burglary and four years for the vehicle theft, with the sentences running concurrently.

His attorney, Heather Aguilar-Sposato, asked the judge to impose three years on the vehicle theft charge, pointing to Chipelo's age and arguing that he had fallen in with the wrong crowd. She said he expressed remorse in a pre-sentencing report.

Prosecutor Jana Robinson painted a different picture, citing an “extensive” criminal history that includes juvenile and adult offenses, multiple pending cases in New Jersey and New York and repeated probation and monitoring violations.

Robinson said the defendants showed “no regard” for the family whose home they entered and shattered their sense of safety.

Purvin acknowledged Chipelo's remorse but said his conduct raised serious questions about whether he was ready to change.

“You get to a point in the road where it could go really bad or you start changing things,” Purvin said.

The judge noted that Chipelo has a 3-year-old child and urged him to take responsibility, stop using drugs and earn his GED.

Chipelo has reported using marijuana daily since age 12 and alcohol and other drugs since age 16, according to his attorney, who also raised potential cognitive issues.

Purvin warned that violating probation after his release could send Chipelo back to prison.

“You’re only 22 years old,” the judge said. “Do something constructive with your life.”