Elmhurst Police Wrap Up Enhanced DUI Campaign with Multiple Arrests

A number of arrests for drunken driving and drug possession were made during the end of a stepped-up DUI enforcement campaign that ended on St. Patrick's Day, March 17. Elmhurst police received a grant from the Illinois Department of Transportation to put extra officers on the streets to crack down on DUI and seat belt violations.

The enforcement campaign began March 8, and particular attention was paid to the hours between 11 p.m. and 3 a.m., which is the deadliest time on Illinois roads.

DUI Arrests

Kevin Hemingway, 33, 1924 S. 17th, Maywood, was arrested and charged with driving under the influence of alcohol and driving without insurance after police pulled over his blue Cadillac for no registration at St. Charles and Fellows Court at 12:10 a.m. March 15. He was released on bond.

Tiffany Steele, 22, 17304 Grange, Orland Park, was arrested and charged with DUI after police pulled over her Dodge Charger for disobeying a traffic control device at Addison and North at 1 a.m. March 15. She was released on bond.

Randy Shears, 27, 1937 S. 17th Ave., Broadway, was arrested and charged with DUI after police pulled over his green Dodge Caravan for speeding at York and Grand at 2:07 a.m. March 16. He was released on bond.

Shawn Chansy, 27, 457 N. Hillside Ave. Apt. 7, Hillside, was arrested and charged with DUI, driving without insurance and illegal transportation of alcohol after police pulled over his gold Buick Century for failure to signal at North Avenue and Interstate 290 at 2:30 a.m. March 16. He was released on bond.

Adam Grow, 21, 1136 Mare Barn Lane, Addison, was arrested and charged with DUI after police pulled over his Lincoln LS for improper lane use at York and Vallette at 3:54 a.m. March 16. He refused to be processed and was taken to DuPage County Jail.

Daniel Flores, 34, 724 Junior Terrace, Elmhurst, was arrested and charged with DUI after police pulled over his black Volkswagon Rabbit for speeding at Route 83 and St. Charles Road at 12:09 a.m. March 17. He was released on bond.

Michael Damore, 48, 286 Poplar Ave., Elmhurst, was arrested and charged with DUI, driving without insurance and endangering the life of child after police pulled over his Ford F150 for failure to yield and improper lane use at Spring and Wilson at 1:32 a.m. March 17. Police said he had two children in the car. He was released on bond.

Nigel Jackson, 24, 602 Plymouth Court, Oswego, was arrested and charged with DUI after police pulled over his white Nissan Altima for disobeying a traffic control device and expired registration at York and Schiller at 1:42 a.m. March 17. He was released on bond.

Rino Romero, 26, 1271B Pleasant Ave., Glendale Heights, was arrested and charged with DUI after police pulled over his green Toyota Camry for improper lane use and expired drivers license at North and Oaklawn at 2:35 a.m. March 17. He was released on bond.

Jacob Zwahlen, 24, 285 Polo Club Drive, Glendale Heights, was arrested and charged with DUI and driving without insurance after police pulled over his red Honda Accord for disobeying a traffic control device at Addison and North at 12:51 a.m. March 18. He was released on bond.

Possession of Cannabis

Adam Bielech, 21, 2811 Roberta, Melrose Park, was arrested and charged with possession of cannabis after police pulled him over for texting while driving at Grand and County Line Road at 9:50 p.m. March 17. He was released on bond.

Joseph Perona, 42, 420 S. Illinois Ave., Villa Park, was arrested and charged with possession of cannabis and possession of drug paraphernalia after police pulled over his gray Chevrolet Cobalt for no seat belt at 6:24 p.m. March 18. He was released on bond.

Unlawful Use of a Weapon

Vito Orona, 20, 10500 Diversey, Melrose Park, was arrested and charged with unlawful use of a weapon and driving without insurance after police pulled over his black Ford Crown Victoria for speeding at St. Charles and Fair at 6:10 a.m. March 15. Police said he had brass knuckles. Orona told police he works security and had confiscated them from someone. He was released on bond.

Suspicious Circumstances

A victim told police her ex-boyfriend's brother parked next to her in the Chase Bank parking lot, 163 N. York Road, and picked up a black handgun and brought it into her view at 2:30 p.m. March 17. Police conducted a traffic stop on the vehicle and found a black BB gun in the back seat. A second suspect asked police to confiscate and destroy the gun, stating "it was going to get him into trouble." No arrests were made.

Warrant Arrests

Michael A. Gonzalez, 31, 1302 S. Hamilton, Elmhurst, turned himself in to police on four warrants at 6:20 p.m. March 15. He was taken to DuPage County Jail.

Read about additional arrests related to this month's DUI enforcement campaign:

Patch reports on law enforcement activity using information provided by official agencies. Persons charged with a crime or issued a citation for violation of a local ordinance are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. If you or a family member are charged with a crime or cited for a violation and the charge or citation is subsequently adjudicated, we encourage you to contact karenc@patch.com and we will do follow-up reporting on the case.

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