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NEWS RELEASE

RIVERSIDE POLICE DEPARTMENT 31 Riverside Road, Riverside, IL 60546

14 March 2014
Contact:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


Chief Tom Weitzel
tweitzel@riverside.il.us

708.447.2127

Follow RPD on Twitter @pdriverside

Riverside Police Arrest Habitual Offender for Felony Traffic Violations


Driver classified as habitual traffic offender charged with aggravated felony driving while license revoked

On Tuesday, March 11, 2014 at 8:00 p.m., the Riverside Police Department received a call of an injury accident in the northbound lanes of First Avenue at 31st Street. When officers first arrived, they found two vehicles just south of 31st Street in the northbound lanes. The vehicles had heavy damage. The offender, Isaac Sanchez, stated he was driving his 1999 Plymouth in the southbound lanes of First Avenue in the curb lane at 31st Street. When he reached 31st Street, he noticed a van making a lefthand turn from the northbound First Avenue turning lane into the westbound 31 st Street lane. Mr. Sanchez said that he started braking, at which time he started to swerve but still struck the 2002 Lexus. Mr. Sanchez, who was injured, refused medical treatment at the scene by Riverside paramedics. His injuries were minor in nature. The other driver involved in the accident, a female, 38, of Elgin stated that Mr. Sanchez was travelling at a high rate of speed just prior to hitting her vehicle. Both vehicles had airbag deployment when officers arrived. The second vehicle involved also had three children inside, a male, 13 y.o., a female, 6 y.o. and a female, 1 y.o. All were in seat belts or child seats at the time of the accident and the mother and children were transported to Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood for minor injuries as a result of the accident. All were released later that same night. Once in police custody, police fingerprinted Mr. Sanchez and found him to have a revoked drivers license which went into effect in September 2001. However, Mr. Sanchez had traffic violations going back to 1994. Mr. Sanchezs driving history included charges for driving without a valid license in 1994, 1998, twice in 2000 and in January of 2001, his license was revoked. In September 2001, he was arrested for driving while license revoked, and in September 2001, Mr. Sanchez was classified as a habitual traffic violation offender. He was again arrested twice in 2002 for driving while license revoked. Mr. Sanchez was additionally arrested for DUI in August 2002, charged again with driving while license revoked in January 2005, and was arrested in February 2007 for making false statements while

applying for a drivers license or identification card. He was arrested again in October 2008 for driving while license revoked and arrested for DUI in February 2011 and finally was arrested in May 2011 for driving while revoked and a hit and run. Riverside Police charged Isaac Sanchez, 35 of the 1000 Block of South 3rd Avenue in Maywood with Aggravated Felony Driving While License Revoked and several other traffic violations. Riverside Police Chief Thomas Weitzel commented, Unfortunately, Mr. Sanchez is a typical traffic offender in Illinois. My officers make daily arrests for individuals driving on suspended or revoked licenses and many of them have multiple convictions. In this case, Mr. Sanchez has been without a valid license since 1994 and revoked since 2001 and by his driving record continued to drive regardless of repeatedly being arrested and brought into court. The Cook County court system just simply does not take these driving offenses seriously and it took almost 20 years to get Mr. Sanchez charged with a felony offense and he still was released on bond. Mr. Sanchez defines the statement of a habitual offender. Mr. Sanchezs bond was set at $5,000 D and posted and is out of custody. Once released from the hospital, the 38 year old Elgin resident came back into the police station to file a battery report related to the original accident. The female victim stated that she was battered by Mr. Sanchez just after the crash but did not report it to police at the time of the accident. She stated that Mr. Sanchez grabbed her by the arm and shook her and told her not to call police about the accident before police arrived. This allegation is still under investigation at this time. ###

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