A Chicago, Illinois man was stopped on the Indiana Toll Road and arrested for Operating While Intoxicated (OWI) and Possession of Cocaine with a sober wife and a four month old child inside their car.
Preliminary investigation by Trooper Alaa Hamed revealed while on patrol early this July 4th, 2017, morning, at approximately 12:57 a.m., he saw a 2005 GMC SUV going west bound on the Indiana Toll Road at the 2.9 mile marker (this is approximately three miles east of the Indiana/Illinois state line) in the left lane at a high rate of speed.
Hamed caught up with the SUV and paced that vehicle for approximately at mile at 79 miles per-hour in a well posted 55 miles per-hour speed zone.
He also watched the SUV weave from side to side and make multiple unsafe lane movements.
Upon stopping the SUV Hamed saw a female (wife) in the rear passenger seat and an infant (four month old) in a car seat seat.
The driver, later identified by an Illinois driver’s license as Sergio A. Sandoval, 29 of Chicago, Illinois, smelled of an overwhelming odor of alcoholic beverage and appeared confused when Hamed spoke with him.
Further investigation revealed that Sandoval was impaired and had a Blood Alcohol Content (B.A.C.) of .09%. Sandoval also had cocaine on his person.
Sandoval was taken and incarcerated at the Lake County Jail in Crown Point. The SUV was turned over to Sandoval’s sober wife.
Charges:
- Operating While Intoxicated with minor passenger-Level 6 Felony
- Possession of Cocaine-Level 6 Felony
All criminal defendants are to be presumed innocent until, and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
