Chicago DUI Lawyer Blog

Anthony Wnek, 47, faces felony charges of false impersonation of a police officer and fleeing a police officer along with misdemeanor DUI and a variety of traffic violations after a bizarre incident that took place on Friday evening.

Wnek allegedly pounded on the door of a Lake in the Hills neighbor, Steve Tatgenhorst, while yelling "U.S. Marshals, U.S. Marshals. Open the door!" Tetgenhorst looked outside to see the man with a badge on his shirt. After briefly opening the door to find the man standing there alone with a hand behind his back, Tatgenhorst became skeptical and called Lake in the Hills Police. Police claim Wnek drove away and later returned while an officer was on the scene. A chase ensued and ended when Wnek pulled into Lake in the Hills police station lot, where he was finally arrested.

Tatgenhorst reportedly does not know Wnek personally and is unsure of his motives. Wnek's criminal case will be heard at the McHenry County Government Center in Woodstock.

Police: Lake in the Hills man impersonated U.S. marshal, www.dailyherald.com, November 22, 2011

Hector Barajas, 23, was charged with driving under the influence as a result of a two-car crash that left one man dead and three other people injured. One of the vehicles hit a light pole.

One victim was pronounced dead at Northwestern Memorial Hospital an hour after the crash. Two of the other victims were taken to the hospital in serious to critical condition, while the third was in good to fair condition.

Along with DUI charges, Barajas was cited for reckless driving, driving without insurance and speeding.

Man charged with drunken driving in Southeast side crash that killed 1, injured 3, www.chicagotribune.com, November 14, 2011

Geno Green, 25, was charged with felony aggravated DUI after a crash that left a 52 year old woman severely injured. The victim, who's name has not been released, was crossing the street when Green allegedly struck her with his vehicle throwing her onto the pavement. She was taken to Stroger Hospital in critical condition.

Green has also been charged with Possession of Marijuana, Failure to Yield to a Pedestrian, Failure to Carry a Driver's License and Failure to Reduce Speed.

Court records show Green was previously charged with felony Possession of a Controlled Substance in 2010 but charges were later dropped. He was also charged with Possession of a Controlled Substance in connection to a Traffic case earlier this year but those charges were also dropped.

Man charged with DUI in crash that severely injured woman, www.chicagotribune.com, October 26, 2011

Joleena Ramos, 23, was charged with two counts of DUI after she crashed her car into a Chili's restaurant in the Morgan Park neighborhood. The crash caused a small fire in the restaurant which was quickly extinguished. Eight people were sent to several nearby hospitals.

Ramos was found behind the wheel of her car after the crash. In addition to driving under the influence, she was also cited for driving on a suspended license, driving without insurance, damage to public property, and failure to reduce speed.

Woman ticketed for DUI after weekend restaurant crash, www.chicagotribune.com, October 17, 2011

Marlon Dampier, 24, was sentenced to 10 years in prison as a result of a fatal 2008 roller rink parking lot crash. Dampier plead guilty to driving under the influence at Markham Court House earlier this month.

Dampier's blood alcohol level was nearly twice the limit at .157 percent when he crashed into another car in the parking lot of the Markham Roller Rink. The other car rolled over from the force of the collision and a passenger, Johnathan Fultz, was injured. Fultz later died from his injuries while three other passengers suffered severe injuries.

Dampier was detained by witnesses as he attempted to flee the scene.

Man is sentenced to 10 years in fatal DUI, www.suntimes.com, October 12, 2011

Juan Hernandez, 42, required treatment for minor injuries sustained after he crashed an ambulance he had allegedly stolen from Norwegian American Hospital. Hernandez reportedly stole the ambulance while paramedics were loading an empty stretcher around 1 A.M. Hernandez and the ambulance were found one and a half miles away from the hospital.

Hernandez was charged with two felonies, criminal damage to property and possession of a stolen motor vehicle. He is also charged with reckless driving and driving under the influence.

Cops: Drunken man steals ambulance, crashes, www.chicagotribune.com, October 2, 2011

A 50-year-old man from Washington, Stephen Dapogny, was pronounced dead 12 minutes after being struck by a Cadillac Seville on Chicago's Lake Shore Drive.

The driver of the Cadillac, Jimmy Members, was charged with aggravated DUI after striking the pedestrian in the roadway.

Members had allegedly been drinking and partying at a bar on the South Side when he and a companion decided to go to a bar on the North Side. Members was arrested at the scene after officers suspected the traffic accident was alcohol related. Two hours after the crash, Members blood alcohol content was 0.081 percent. Bail was set at $150,000.

Members was previously arrested for DUI in 2009 but charges were later dismissed.

Cops: Man charged in fatal drunk driving crash near Millennium Park, www.chicagotribune.com, September 26, 2011

Eduardo Perez, 31, of Riverside, was charged with driving under the influence of drugs and possession of a controlled substance. He was also cited for several other traffic violations.

Perez was stopped after officers claim he was driving erratically. He was seen crossing the yellow center line and weaving in and out of traffic. Officers also saw him enter a wrong lane and nearly hit several vehicles. After the stop, the arresting officers reportedly witnessed him snorting and licking white powder from his hands as they approached the vehicle.

Perez was taken from the car and handcuffed. Drug-sniffing dogs helped officers find heroin and drug residue inside the vehicle. Bail was set at $75,000 for Perez.

Stopped motorist snorted heroin in front of officer, police say, www.chicagotribune.com, September 24, 2011

Sheila Kane, 30, was charged with aggravated DUI after she struck a bicyclist on the Near West Side. Witnesses at a bar reported seeing Kane consume six vodka drinks before getting behind the wheel of her vehicle.

Kane reportedly crashed into a barrier causing the vehicle to flip over before striking the bicyclist. The victim is in critical condition and on a ventilator after sustaining serious brain injuries as a result of the crash. Kane admitted to having three vodka drinks but refused testing. Kane's blood alcohol content was .201 percent, more than twice the legal limit.

Woman accused of drinking six vodkas before driving into bicyclist, www.suntimes.com, September 5, 2011

Henry Jesus Mendez, 21, was arrested in connection with car chase that resulted in a crash in the Lakeview neighborhood of Chicago.

Mendez allegedly began firing a gun at individuals he recently had an altercation with at a nearby nightclub. Police officers heard the gunshots and responded to the scene where witnesses pointed out the car as it drove away. Also in the car were two women and a fourth person who escaped and still remains unidentified.

Mendez crashed the car into a pole near Belmont and Sheffield and all occupants allegedly fled the vehicle. Mendez was charged with felony reckless discharge of a firearm and aggravated fleeing from the police. He was also charged with several traffic citations for running red lights, reckless driving, leaving the scene of an accident and damaging city property. According to police, Mendez disobeyed 10 stop signs and red lights.

The two women with Mendez - Tiffany Marie Sanchez, 24, and Vanessa Fernandez, 20, were both charged with misdemeanor reckless conduct.

NW side man charged in car chase, www.chicagotribune.com, September 5, 2011

38-year-old Ignacio Ramirez is charged with reckless homicide and aggravated DUI after a crash that resulted in the death of a bicyclist.

The bicyclist, identified as 30 year old Fredrick Kobrick, was riding in the the bicycle lane when he was struck by Ramirez who allegedly fled the scene of the accident. Kobrick was rushed to Stroger Hospital where he was pronounced dead later that morning. Ramirez was located and taken into custody a few blocks away from the accident.

Ramirez has also been charged with leaving the scene of a fatal accident and several traffic tickets, including failure to stop at a stop sign and driving without a license or insurance. His blood alcohol level was not made available.

Man charged with DUI in Pilsen hit-and-run of bicyclist, www.chicagotribune.com, August 24, 2011

Ingnacio Ramirez charged with DUI in Pilsen hit-and-run crash that killed cyclist, www.huffingtonpost.com, August 24, 2011

Bruce Brandwein, defense attorney for Alia Bernard, will argue that the "any amount" of marijuana law recently passed by the Illinois Supreme Court is unconstitutional and violates equal protection under the law.

Bernard was originally charged with reckless homicide, but aggravated DUI charges were filed after blood test detected some amount of marijuana in her system. She could face up to 28 years in prison if convicted. Bernard, 27, allegedly caused a fatal 9 vehicle pile-up when she rear-ended a stopped car and pushed the vehicle into an oncoming group of motorcyclist. Two people involved in the crash died and 12 others were injured.

Brandwein has motioned to have the aggravated DUI charges thrown out. Lead prosecutors on the case say they will fight Brandwein's motion. Both sides will argue their positions in court on September 30, 2011.

Attorney in fatal crash says pot law is unconstitutional, www.dailyherald.com, August 23, 2011

Pot DUI Evidence Against Alia Bernard To Be Heard In Car-Crash Reckless Homicide Case, www.huffintonpost.com, April 21, 2011

Michael Villanueva, 25, was pronounced dead at the Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood after a DUI crash on the Eisenhower Expressway near Oak Park.

Villanueva was standing outside his vehicle, which had crashed into a wall on the expressway, when he was struck by an SUV driven by a 61 year old woman. The woman was charged with driving under the influence as a result of the crash.

Villanueva was initially taken to the west suburban hospital in critical condition and died more than a week later.

Woman charged with DUI in fatal Oak Park expressway crash, www.suntimes.com, August 23, 2011

Annabella Loerop, 4, was killed when she was hit by a vehicle driven by an allegedly drunk teen.

The 17 year old, Deandre Wolf, has been charged with driving under the influence of marijuana and reckless homicide in the death of the four year old.

Wolf, 16 years old at the time of the incident, was driving a Buick when he struck Annabella as she ran into the street chasing after a ball.

The charges against Wolf are both felonies, bail was set at $250,000.

Oak Forest teen charged with DUI in crash that killed 4-year old Tinley Park Girl, www.oakforest.patch.com, August 16, 2011

Teen Charged with DUI, reckless homicide in death of girl, 4, www.chicagotribune.com, August 15, 2011

William Anthony Howe was driving a Porsche the wrong-way on Interstate 88 when he struck a vehicle killing a woman and her father and seriously injuring her husband.

Howe remains hospitalized. He has not yet been charged with the crash or been confirmed as the driver. However, witnesses reported he was swerving all over the road and throwing handfuls of cash out the window.

The victims of the crash, Farnaza Ali and her father, Sherali Shalwani, were both killed. Ali's husband was hospitalized in critical condition.

Howe has been a licensed dentist since 1993. He filed for bankruptcy several years ago, was divorced in 2003, and his Naperville home is in foreclosure.

Howe was convicted in DuPage County in 2010 for having open alcohol in his vehicle. He was also arrested in Naperville in 2008 for driving under the influence of drugs, having expired plates, failure to signal and passing in a no passing zone - three of those charges were dropped.

Naperville dentist with DUI history caused fatal Porsche crash, police say, www.myfoxchicago.com, August 10, 2011