'Valued Car Wash Employee' Found Slumping Behind Wheel: Police

Telesforo Medina-Lopez | Cook County Sheriff

A 42-year-old man was charged with aggravated DUI when he was found sleeping behind the wheel of his car while in traffic, prosecutors said in court Thursday.

According to the charges, a Hometown police officer saw Telesforo Medina-Lopez asleep in his running vehicle with his foot on the brake near Southwest Highway and Cicero Avenue. The Hometown cop removed the key from the ignition and put the car in park, and radioed Oak Lawn police.

Oak Lawn police officers said that Medina-Lopez’s eyes appeared glassy and that he had a strong odor of alcohol. He told officers that he had “three tequilas.”

After failing field sobriety tests and blowing a .229, Medina-Lopez was taken into custody, prosecutors said.

The defendant’s attorney told the judge that his client’s employer was in court, who said that Medina-Lopez was a valued employee at his Evergreen Park car wash.

Prosecutors said that Medina-Lopez had an arrest for failure to appear in court on another aggravated DUI charge. The man also apparently has never held a driver’s license.

The judge set bail at $100,000. He also ordered Medina-Lopez to wear an alcohol-monitoring device should he bond out.

Medina-Lopez is due back in court on Dec. 3 in Bridgeview.