Crime & Safety

Speeding Stop Leads to Battery Arrests for 5 People

Suspect's parents allegedly got involved, tried to prevent son's arrest, police said.

Will County Sheriff's deputies' attempt to pull over a vehicle for speeding led to battery and obstruction charges for five people.

Sheriff's department spokeswoman Kathy Hoffmeyer said deputies were in the area of Briggs Street and Route 6 in Joliet at around 2 a.m. Thursday when they saw a vehicle traveling at a high rate of speed.

After a deputy activated his emergency lights, the vehicle turned onto Violetta Street and turned off its lights, then then turned into a driveway, Hoffmeyer said.

A woman, later identified as 45-year-old Laura Hernandez of the 2000 block of Hastings Drive in Plainfield, got out of the vehicle and began walking towards the squad car, police said. 

Hoffmeyer said Hernandez ignored repeated instructions to return to the vehicle.

Police said a man, identified as 38-year-old Ernest Lopez, also of the 2000 block of Hastings Drive, then stepped out of the vehicle and also approached the squad car. He, too, refused instructions to return to the vehicle, Hoffmeyer said.

"As deputies were attempting to take Hernandez and Lopez into custody they both continuously resisted," Hoffmeyer said. At that point, the driver of the vehicle allegedly got involved in the incident.

Steven Chavez, 29, also of the 2000 block of Hastings in Plainfield, is accused of approaching a deputy and battering him.

Police said Lopez' parents, Ernest Lopez Sr., 74, and Concepcion Lopez, 65, of the 800 block of Violetta, also attempted to stop deputies from taking the trio into custody.

Lopez Sr. is accused of approaching a deputy and placing both hands on him in an attempt to stop deputies from arresting his son, Hoffmeyer said. 

While deputies were securing those four, Concepcion Lopez allegedly approached the scene and tried o stop deputies from taking custody of her son. She, too, is accused of placing both hands on the deputy to stop him from arresting Lopez Jr.

After securing the scene, deputies arrested all five, Hoffmeyer said. All of them were charged with battery and obstructing/resisting an officer.

Chavez, who was driving the vehicle, was also charged with driving with a revoked license, speeding, driving without headlights and driving an uninsured vehicle, according to police.

All five were booked into the Will County jail, Hoffmeyer said.


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