by David P. Greisman

When last we checked in on former junior featherweight and featherweight Antonio Escalante, it was mid-July and he’d been arrested for allegedly driving drunk for the third time in about five months.

Escalante has since pleaded guilty in two of those cases, entering his plea late last month, according to television station KVIA, which covers El Paso, Texas. His third case is scheduled to go to trial this coming May.

He was sentenced to one year in jail, but that sentence was suspended while he serves 18 months of probation, the report said. He also must complete community service, according to online court records.

In the remaining case, Escalante is accused of “driving while intoxicated with a child under 15 years of age,” according to online court records. He also was cited in May for allegedly having a child not secured by a safety seat.

Online court records list similar accusations over the years: an unrestrained child in 2004, driving under the influence in 2006, driving without a valid license on multiple occasions in 2009 and 2010. Some of these cases wound up dismissed. He’s also had alleged license/license plate violations this year as well.

Escalante, who is 29 years old, turned pro in 2003. Among his notable wins are victories over Cornelius Lock, Mike Oliver, Miguel Roman and Gary Stark Jr.

His losses came to Jairo Sanchez early in his career, to Mauricio Pastrana in 2007, in back-to-back knockout losses to Daniel Ponce De Leon in 2010 and Alejandro Perez, in back-to-back stoppage losses to Rocky Juarez in 2012 and Robert Marroquin in 2013 — and, most recently, a third-round technical knockout loss to Miguel Berchelt on Oct. 11.

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