DUIs, Battery: Palos Heights Blotter

DEC. 28

DUI

Kari C. Szeszycki, 25, of the 12700 block of South Kenneth Avenue, Alsip, was arrested and charged with driving under the influence, driving with a suspended license and improper lane use after she was pulled over Dec. 14 with a blood-alcohol level of .102, according to Palos Heights police reports.

Police stopped Szeszycki at around 12:05 a.m., in the 12700 block of South Harlem Avenue, after she failed to signal several lane changes, the report stated.

During the stop, Szeszycki admitted to have been drinking and failed field sobriety tests at the scene, the report stated. She also was given a breath alcohol test, which registered a BAC of .102, the report added.

Szeszycki was held on $3,000 bond, and her court date is Feb. 5.

Battery

Robert S. Potokar, 40, of the 10900 block of South Oxford Avenue, Chicago Ridge, was arrested and charged with misdemeanor battery after a Dec. 14 fight at Trio Bar and Grill, 11845 S. Southwest Hwy., according to a Palos Heights police report.

Potokar was one of five Trio patrons who got into an argument around 6:07 p.m., while watching football at the bar, the report stated. Eventually, Potokar punched one of the patron’s in the face, causing a cut over the victim’s left eye, the report added.

Potokar was held on $1,500 bond, and his court date is Jan. 28.

DEC. 27

DUI, Speeding

Elizabeth M. Mezyed, 32, of the 7300 block of Country Creek Way, Downers Grove, was arrested and charged with driving under the influence, speeding, improper lane use and driving without insurance after a Dec. 14 traffic stop, according to Palos Heights police reports.

Police clocked Mezyed going 54 mph in a 35 mph zone at about 2:38 a.m., in the 7900 block of West College Drive, the report stated. She also was weaving in and out of her lane, the report added.

During the stop, Mezyed failed field sobriety tests and was taken in to custody, the report stated. She later refused any chemical testing, the report added.

Meyzed was held on $3,000, and her court date is Jan. 13.

DEC. 22

DUI

Uzziel Escalonacruz, 23, of the 14700 block of Central Avenue, Oak Forest, was arrested and charged with driving under the influence, driving with a blood-alcohol content of more than 0.08, driving with a suspended license, driving without insurance, driving with no tail lights and improper lane use after a Dec. 22 traffic stop, according to Palos Heights police reports.

Police pulled over Escalonacruz at about 3:08 a.m., in the 12300 block of South Harlem Avenue, after noticing he was driving without tail lights and was crossing over the white line, the report stated. Escalonacruzfield failed field sobriety tests at the scene and was taken in to custody, the report added.

He was released on $3,000 bond, and his court date is Feb. 5.

DEC. 21

DUI

Brian A. Corcoran, 33, of the 9700 block of Crescent Park Circle, Orland Park, was arrested and charged with driving under the influence, disobeying a traffic signal and driving with one working headlight after a Dec. 21 traffic stop, according to Palos Heights police reports.

Police stopped Corcoran at about 1:06 a.m., in the 7100 block of West 127th Street, after noticing he was driving with a headlight out and turned through a red light without stopping first, the report stated. Corcoran admitted to drinking and failed field sobriety tests at the scene, the report added.

He was released on $3,000 bond, and his court date is Feb. 5.

DEC. 20

DUI

Hernan Garcia, 46, of Beloit, Wis., was arrested and charged with driving under the influence and speeding after a Dec. 20 traffic stop, according to Palos Heights police reports.

Police clocked Garcia going 81 mph in a 35-mph zone in the 13000 block of South Harlem Avenue at about 1:28 a.m., the report stated. Garcia failed field sobriety tests at the scene and was taken in to custody, the report added.

He was released on $3,000, and his court date is Feb. 5.

DUI

Meghan L. Ibarra, 28, of the 5400 block of West 135th Street, Crestwood, was arrested and charged with driving under the influence, improper lane use and transportation of open alcohol after a Dec. 20 traffic stop, according to Palos Heights police reports.

Ibarra was pulled over by police at about 3:28 a.m. after she crossed the double yellow line in the 6500 block of West 127th Street, the report stated. Ibarra told police she had been drinking earlier, and she failed field sobriety tests at the scene, the report added. Police also found an open can of beer during a search of the vehicle, the report stated.

Ibarra was released on $3,000 bond, and her court date is Feb. 15.

Obstructing a Peace Officer

Seaf M. Zayed, 19, of the 6000 block of Jody Lane, was arrested and charged with obstructing a peace officer after a Dec. 20 traffic stop, according to Palos Heights police reports.

Officers noticed Zayed, who was riding in the back seat of a vehicle that had been pulled over at about 8:14 p.m. for changing lanes twice in the 13100 block of South Harlem Avenue, was not wearing a seatbelt and asked him for ID in order to write a citation, the report stated. Zayed told police he didn’t have identification, the refused to give his name before eventually giving officers a false identity, the report added.

After police discovered discrepancies between what Zayed and the vehicle’s other occupants told officers, Zayed was taken in to custody, the report stated. At the station, Zayed was fingerprinter and correctly identified, the report added. When he was found to have an active Will County arrest warrant from the Will County, Zayed admitted that was the reason he gave a fake name, the report stated.

DEC. 17

Felony DUI

Teresa A. Hall, 53, of the 8200 block of South 82nd Street, Hickory Hills, was arrested and charged with felony driving while under the influence, driving with a revoked license and failure to dim high beams after a Dec. 17 traffic stop, according to Palos Heights police reports.

Hall was pulled over by police around 8:43 p.m., in the 12400 block of South Harlem, after she failed to dim her vehicle’s high beams, the report stated. During the stop, officers “observed her to have been consuming alcohol,” and Hall failed field sobriety tests at the scene, the report added. A computer check also revealed that Hall’s license had been revoked, the report stated.

DEC. 16

DUI, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia

Mohammad S. Elmatari, 19, of the 8800 block of Timber Court, Tinley Park, was arrested and charged with driving under the influence of drugs, possession of drug paraphernalia, improper use of registration and failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident after a Dec. 16 incident in the 12700 block of South Harlem Avenue, according to Palos Heights police reports.

Elmatari was released on $1,000 bond, and his court date is Jan. 28.

DEC. 15

Leaving the Scene of an Accident

Martin Garnes, 30, of the 16200 block of South Turner Avenue Markham, was arrested and charged with leaving the scene of a property damage accident, driving without insurance and failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident after a Dec. 15 incident in the 7600 block of West Drive, according to Palos Heights police reports.

Garnes was released on $2,000 bond, and his court date is Jan. 13.

DEC. 13

DUI, No Insurance

Estaban Sanchez, 21, of Willowbrook, was arrested and charged with driving under the influence, driving without insurance and improper lane use after a Dec. 13 traffic stop, according to Palos Heights police reports.

Sanchez was stopped at about 2:38 a.m. in the 7800 block of McCarthy Road, after police noticed him crossing over the double-yellow line, the report stated. Police reported detecting an odor of alcohol on Sanchez’s breath, and the driver admitted to drinking alcohol earlier in the evening, the report added. Sanchez failed field sobriety tests at the scene and was taken in to custody, the report stated.

At the station, Sanchez refused to submit to any chemical testing and was held on $2,000 bond, the report stated. His court date is Jan. 15.

DEC. 12

DUI, Speeding

Jasmin M. Velazquez, 24, of the 1400 block of Harvey Avenue, Berwyn, was arrested and charged with driving under the influence, improper lane use, speeding and unlawful use of a communication device after a Dec. 12 traffic stop, according to Palos Heights police reports.

Velazquez was stopped at about 3:55 a.m. for going 55 mph in a 40-mph zone in the 12800 block of South Ridgeland Avenue, the report stated. Police also noticed Velazquez veering to the right over the white line, the report added.

During the stop, Velazquez failed field sobriety tests and was taken in to custody, the report stated. She was held on $3,000 bond, and her court date is Dec. 29.

Police Blotter information is provided by local law enforcement agencies. Charges are not evidence of guilt. They are a record of police actions taken on a given day, and persons charged with a crime are presumed innocent until proven guilty in court. If you or a family member are charged or cited and the case is subsequently adjudicated, we encourage you to notify the editor. We will verify and report the outcome.