Crime & Safety

South Suburban DUI Arrests, Dec. 1

A few suburban drivers started celebrating the holiday season early this week. Here's a roundup of the latest DUI reports from the Southland.

Nov. 25: An Orland Park man is facing a DUI charge after being pulled over in Mokena for making a wide turn and squealing tires.

Mark E. Diver, 24, of the 14700 block of Maplecreek Drive in Orland Park, was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol, speeding, driving an uninsured vehicle and illegal squealing of tires.

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Police pulled over a car after seeing it turn left from south on LaGrange Road to west on 191st Street, driving 56 mph in a 45 mph zone and crossing into the outer curb lane while turning around 12:55 a.m.

The car squealed its tires while turning, and returned to the left lane, but then cut off another car in the curb lane while pulling over, according to a Mokena Police report.

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The driver’s breath smelled like alcohol though he denied drinking any that night, police said.

The driver, Diver, said he was driving three friends home from a bar in Frankfort and the alcohol odor was coming from them, police said.

The driver failed field sobriety tests and refused to take a Breathalyzer test, according to the report.

Nov. 24: A Frankfort man is accused of driving while drunk with a 6-month old baby in the back seat, while also carrying two knives on him.

Peter J. Garcia, 21, of the 200 block of W. Nebraska, was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol, speeding and unlawful use of a weapon.

A Mokena patrol officer saw a car driving 63 mph in a 40 mph zone going west in the 10100 block of 191st Street around 1:40 a.m. Sunday. The car jerked and swerved right as it pulled over, after the officer turned on emergency lights, according to a Mokena police report. The driver, Garcia, stepped out of the car and approached the officer, even though the officer told him repeatedly to stay in his car. The officer yelled at him to get back into the car, and had to guide him back to his car, according to the report.

Garcia had a dazed look and an unfocused gaze while talking with the officer, police said. Garcia said “he saw red and blues so I got out” when asked what he was doing. A female passenger was in the front seat and a 6-month-old baby was in the back seat, according to the report. She told the officer they had come from a house party in Mokena, where they both drank, police said.

The officer found a large silver buck style hunting knife in a sheath attached to Garcia’s waist and a medium-sized folding knife in his pocket, according to the report. He said he carried them “for protection.” His breath smelled like alcohol and he failed field sobriety tests, police said.

The passenger said they came from a party in Mokena where she drank as well. When asked why she brought her baby to a party, she said “she slept the whole time,” according to the report.

The man cursed at officers while he was put in handcuffs and yelled at officers during the booking process.

Police also contacted the Department of Child and Family Services about the passenger and her child.

Nov. 14: A Mokena man was accused of driving his SUV into a tree, sending debris flying 50 feet away from the scene, according to a Mokena Police report.

Jeffrey M. Leonard, 48, of the 19600 block of Stonehenge Drive in Mokena, was charged with driving under the influence of drugs, failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident and driving off the roadway.

Police were called to the 19600 block of Stonehenge Drive about an accident where an SUV drove into a tree around 12:35 a.m. The impact caused debris from the car and from a brick mailbox to be thrown throughout the area and north of the accident, as far as 50 feet away.

Leonard, the driver, was bleeding from his chin and said no one else was in the SUV. His speech was slow and slurred and he was swaying while standing, according to the report.

Leonard said he was out running an errand and looked down to put his seatbelt on when he struck the tree, police said.

Leonard said he took Vicodin and Percocet about 3.5 hours before the accident happened, according to the report. He showed police a scar he had from back surgery. He said he doesn’t drink alcohol when asked whether he did so that night, according to the report. Leonard also said he had taken Vicks for a cold he had.

He was taken to Silver Cross Hospital for treatment and released later that morning after minor treatment for injuries.

Nov. 8: Police found an open bottle of vodka right next to a Mokena man who caused a car accident, according to a Mokena Police report.

Alexander J. Hanson, 21, of the 19400 block of Victorian Drive, was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol, failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident and illegal transportation of alcohol.

Police were called about a two-car accident in the 19300 block of Puritan Drive around 2:20 a.m. The car that caused the accident started driving away with a flat tire and right front end damage, and was seen about a block away from the accident site, police said.

The officer saw an open bottle of vodka next to the driver’s right leg sitting on the driver’s seat. The driver’s breath smelled like alcohol, his eyes were bloodshot and he was slurring his speech, according to the report.

The driver, Hanson, failed field sobriety tests, police said.

Nov. 2: A Mokena woman pulled her hands away from being cuffed while she was being arrested for DUI, according to a Mokena Police report.

Maria L. Fillicetti, 51, of the 10700 block of Green Meadows Drive, was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol, DUI with a blood alcohol level greater than .08, resisting a peace officer, obstructing a peace officer, improper lane use and failure to notify of an address change.

Police pulled over a car after seeing weave within the lane and cross over into the oncoming traffic lane while turning left into the 19100 block of Schoolhouse Road around 11:10 p.m.

The driver’s breath smelled like alcohol, she slurred her speech and her eyes were bloodshot, police said. Fillicetti, the driver, denied drinking, and failed field sobriety tests, according to the report.

She pulled her arm away from the officer while handcuffs were placed on her, police said.

While at the police station, she refused to hand over her car keys and they had to be removed forcibly, according to the report.

Nov. 1: An Orland Park man is facing drunk driving charges after police saw him swerving between lanes, as did witnesses, according to an Orland Park police report.

Patrick J. Sweeney, 76 of the 13900 block of 88th Avenue in Orland Park, was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol, driving an uninsured vehicle and improper lane use.

Police were called about a black SUV “driving all over the roadway” at 143rd Street and LaGrange Road around 8:15 p.m. Witnesses said the SUV was changing lanes without signaling and swerving, while nearby cars honked at the vehicle to alert the driver, according to the report. Police then saw the SUV turn north on 88th Avenue from 143rd Street and pulled it over.

Sweeney, the driver, took several minutes to find his driver’s license, couldn’t find proof of insurance, slurred and mumbled while talking and his breath smelled like alcohol, police said.

Sweeney staggered and stumbled while walking toward the rear of the SUV, and an officer had to catch him to keep him from falling, police said. He then failed other field sobriety tests and refused to take a Breathalyzer test.

ORLAND PARK

Nov. 2: A woman is accused of driving drunk and kicking a police officer while she was taken into custody, according to an Orland Park police report.

Jennifer L. Borne, 39, of the 16200 block of Apple Parkway in Tinley Park, was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol, battery, resisting a peace officer, driving an uninsured vehicle, improper lane use and improper turning.

Police pulled over a car after seeing it nearly strike the outside curb lane while turning left, and then swerving into the left lane and back into the right lane, as well as driving 50 mph in a 40 mph zone, in the 8800 block of 159th Street around 4:10 a.m.

Borne, the driver, had to use the car door to steady herself while exiting her car, her breath smelled like alcohol and she didn’t have an insurance card on her, according to the report.

Borne failed field sobriety tests, and she pulled her hands away when an officer tried to handcuff her, police said. She pushed and pulled to get away from officers as they put her into a squad car and tried kicking at the officers, police said.

Once at the police station, Borne again kicked at the officers as they were taking her out of the car, and struck one officer in the shin, police said.

An officer had to hold her still by the shoulder before she calmed down, according to the report.

TINLEY PARK

Nov. 15: A Frankfort was accused of being on drugs and cold medicine while drinking after getting into a car crash.

Nicole M. Giordano, 28, of the 7800 block of Harvest Drive, was charged with driving under the combined influence of drugs and alcohol, possessing marijuana, driving without insurance, failing to reduce speed to avoid a crash and failing to signal a left turn, according to a Tinley Park police report.

Police were called to a traffic crash at about 9:23 p.m. on Nov. 15 near the intersection of 169th Street and 80th Avenue, the report states. A red Pontiac and a beige Nissan both had heavy front-end damage.

The driver of the Pontiac was breathing heavily and complained of chest pain, the report states. Both of his hands were hurt in the crash. He told police that he was southbound on 80th Avenue when a car made a left hand turn in front of his vehicle and left him with no time to react. A passenger in the Pontiac, who also was hurt, told police a similar story about what happened before he was taken to Palos Community Hospital.

The man was later taken to Palos Community Hospital for treatment, the report states.

Police spoke with the other driver, Giordano, and asked for her insurance car, the report states. She told police the card was in her car. Before police could retrieve it, she said "I want to be honest. I smoke weed. There is some in the car in a small purse in between the front seats." Cops found the purse and pulled out a baggie containing a green, leafy substance. It later tested positive for marijuana.

Giordano wasn't injured but said she was having a panic attack and was taken to the hospital for treatment, the report states. Police followed her into the ambulance and noticed that she had an odor of alcohol on her breath. Giordano said she had two "big" drinks earlier that night and also took some DayQuil.


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Police report information is provided by local police departments. Charges are not evidence of guilt. They are a record of police actions on a given day, and persons charged with a crime are presumed innocent until proven guilty in court. If you or a family member are charged or cited and the case is subsequently adjudicated, we encourage you to notify the editor. We will verify and report the outcome.

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