JOLIET, IL — The Will County State’s Attorney’s Office may bring an end to the political career of Joliet Township Supervisor Angel Contreras. The Joliet elected official who knocked long time incumbent Dan Vera out of office last year now faces his third drunken driving charge.
Joliet police made the June 19 overnight arrest on Western Avenue near Wilcox Street around 2:40 a.m. on Father’s Day. Contreras told the arresting officers that he lives nearby, at 427 Buell Ave.
This week, a Will County grand jury returned a bill of indictment against the 36-year-old Contreras. It’s five felonies: five counts of aggravated driving under the influence.
At 2:42 a.m., Contreras was under the influence of alcohol while driving his 2007 Honda Ridgeline on Western Avenue near Wilcox Street, the complaint noted. Contreras has a prior DUI conviction from Feb. 28, 2008 in Mahaska County, Iowa and a DUI conviction from Aug. 15, 2015 in Elkhart County, Indiana, with “said violation being a third violation.”
On Western Avenue, Joliet police officer Kenneth Macejak asked Contreras several times how much he had to drink. Contreras told the officer he had attended the African American Business Association awards banquet at the Clarion Hotel off Larkin Avenue.
Eventually, Contreras told the officer he had “four drinks at the end of the night.”
One of his charges indicates Contreras “did not possess a driver’s license or permit or a restricted driving permit or a judicial driving permit or a monitoring device driving permit.”
Another charge states that at the time of his June 19 felony DUI arrest, Contreras “did so at a time when his driver’s license was revoked …. and the current violation …. is the defendant’s third violation.”
Contreras has hired the downtown Joliet law offices of attorney Scott Delaney to represent him.
Joliet Patch has obtained all the Joliet Police Department reports surrounding the early morning arrest of Contreras from June 19.
Here’s a synopsis of Contreras’ conversation with his arresting Joliet police officer after Contreras got handcuffed and put into the backseat of the squad car.
“Does it have to be this way, sir? Why is that? You deal with a lot of discretion, sir, all the time.”
“That car’s clean, sir. There’s nothing in there, just tools. Actually, the tools are very expensive. There’s like $4,000 worth of tools in there. Actually, that is very valuable stuff.”
“Will I be able to pay my own bail? So… my truck’s going to get towed?”
“All right, do you need anything from me that’s in my pocket?”
“Can I ask for a favor? The cuffs, loosen out a little bit because they’re f****** tight as hell … I’m not going anywhere, man. I mean, I don’t even need them, boss. I’m not fighting. I’m not resisting. I’m not going to do anything.”
“So how long am I going to be there?”
“All you got to do is drive me up here and I’ll be home, literally right here. This is where I live. Right here to your left.”
“So … you never accompany anyone home ever? I don’t believe that. How long do you think I’ll be in actual processing?”
