Drunken Driver Had 2 Young Children in Vehicle with Him: Police

JOLIET, IL — A 35-year-old Joliet man is in jail after he was allegedly driving drunk with two young children in the car.

At 12:29 a.m. Sept. 24, Carlos Moreno, of the 700 block of N. Hickory Street, was driving a Chevrolet Tahoe eastbound on Jackson Street approaching the intersection of Collins Street when police officers saw his vehicle swerve back and forth between the eastbound lanes, cross the divider and nearly hit another vehicle, according to Joliet Deputy Police Chief Ed Gregory.

Police pulled Moreno over at a gas station at Collins and Jackson. Officers smelled a strong odor of alcohol coming from him and he failed all field sobriety tests, Gregory said.

In the vehicle with Moreno was a male front seat passenger, a one-year-old boy in a child safety seat and a four-year-old boy without a seat belt or a child safety seat. There also was a young female adult in the backseat with the children.

Moreno has had multiple arrests for driving under the influence, according to police. He also had three warrants out for him, Gregory said.

It is unknown why the other adults in the car were unable to drive if Moreno was intoxicated.

He has been charged with aggravated driving under the influence third offense or more, two counts of endangering the life/health of a child, driving while license suspended, no driver’s license.

photo via the Will County Sheriff's Office