Lake Forest Crime: Drunk Drivers On Cell Phones

LAKE FOREST, IL — The following information comes from the Lake Forest Police Department as a record of police activity. An arrest is not an indication of guilt, and criminal charges, which are often dropped or reduced, represent merely accusations by the state. All defendants are innocent until their guilt is established by a court of law.

ILLEGAL TRANSPORTATION OF ALCOHOL, SUSPENDED LICENSE

Thomas C. Burns, 53, of the 1300 block of North Western Avenue, was arrested April 26 at 5:53 p.m. after police were dispatched to the area of Ridge and Old Elm roads after a 9-1-1 call reported a suspicious vehicle in a nearby neighborhood. Police pulled over the car and found the driver, Burns, was not wearing a seat belt. Burns poured an unknown liquid out of his van prior to being pulled over, police said. Police learned that his license had been suspended for a previous DUI, and they found an opened 1.75 liter bottle of vodka inside his vehicle.

DUI

Erik Trujillo, 41, of the 900 block of North Green Bay Road was arrested April 27 shortly before 12:30 a.m. after police responded to a report of a single vehicle crash with possible injuries at the area of North Edgewood Road. Police on the scene located a damaged black SUV with its airbags deployed, spoke to the occupants of the vehicle and determinded Trujillo was the driver and appeared to be drunk. Witnesses also told police he had been drinking at a local bar before the crash, according to LFPD. He was taken to Northwestern Lake Forest Hospital for treatment as police continued their investigation. Police said they estimated his blood alcohol level at the time of the crash was 0.223 and later charged him with driving under the influence of alcohol, no proof of insurance and improper lane use.

DUI

Matthew B. Smetak, 31, of the 12100 block of Walnut Park in Austin, Texas was arrested April 28 at 1:19 a.m. Police said they were on routine patrol when they saw a green Jeep driving erratically around the East Business District. The driver was spotted using a cell phone at the time, police said. They pulled over the Jeep and spoke to the driver, identified as Smetak. Police said he smelled of alcohol and admitted being at a local bar shortly before being stopped by police. Based on his performance in field sobriety tests, he was arrested for DUI. Police also said they found an opened bottle of Captain Morgan rum behind the driver’s seat and that Smetak later provided a breath sample showing a blood alcohol content of 0.126.

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