An Aurora woman who lead police on a high-speed chase down I-88 early Saturday morning has been denied pre-trial release.
DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin and Naperville Chief of Police Jason Arres announced today that Judge Anthony Coco granted the State’s motion to detain the 22-year-old woman after she was charged with two counts of Aggravated Fleeing and Eluding (Class 4 Felony) and one count of Misdemeanor Attempt Aggravated Assault.
According to police, on Saturday morning at approximately 1:18am, officers with the Naperville Police Department conducting surveillance in the parking lot of Bowlero, which is located at 1515 Aurora Avenue, observed a firearm in a vehicle between the center console and the passenger seat. A short time later, two individuals, later identified as the suspect and an unknown male, entered the car where they were observed smoking cannabis.
When officers asked the pair to exit the vehicle in order to perform a search, the suspect complied but the male did not and began moving items about the car. He eventually exited the car and fled on foot and, while the officers pursued him, the suspect got back in the car and drove away. One of the officers reentered his squad car, activated the emergency lights and sirens, and took off in pursuit.
Allegedly, during the pursuit the suspect made a U-turn and drove directly at the officer, causing him to swerve his squad car to avoid a collision. The suspect also disobeyed seven red lights through the streets of Naperville before entering I-88 where she reached a speed of approximately 122 mph. She eventually pulled her vehicle over and, with assistance from the DuPage County Sheriff’s Office, was taken into custody at this time.
“The alleged conduct of [the suspect] demonstrates that she has absolutely no concern for public safety or for the safety of the officer involved in the pursuit,” Berlin said. “Judge Coco’s order to detain her pre-trial sends the message that in DuPage County we will not tolerate this type of dangerous behavior that poses a threat not only to the driver, but also puts the police officers involved and motoring public at great risk.”
The suspect’s next court appearance is scheduled for December 26, 2023, for arraignment in front of Judge Brian Telander.
