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The Joliet Township supervisor and Joliet Housing Authority’s vice chairman was arrested early Sunday morning after officers suspected him of driving under the influence, police said.
About 4:44 a.m. on Sunday, Angel Contreras, 36, of Joliet, was taken to the Will County Jail on probable cause of aggravated driving under the influence, driving under the influence, driving while license revoked and several traffic offenses. He was released from jail on Sunday afternoon.
Contreras did not immediately respond to a call about the arrest on Monday.
Contreras was appointed to the housing authority board in 2016 by Joliet Mayor Robert O’Dekirk. He was elected as the supervisor of Joliet Township in April 2021 by 3,244 votes. Contreras also once served on the Joliet Township High School District 204 after he was elected in 2017 but is no longer on the board.
Contreras’ total compensation for the current fiscal year as supervisor, including benefits, is about $100,786, according to township records. He does not get paid for his position on the housing authority board.
At 2:24 a.m. on Sunday, an officer stopped the Honda Ridgeline Contreras was driving near the intersection of Western Avenue and Wilcox Street after seeing the vehicle’s lights were off and the vehicle was swerving in traffic, according to a news release from Joliet police Sgt. Dwayne English.
An officer identified Contreras as the driver of the Honda Ridgeline, English said.
Contreras showed signs of alcohol impairment while speaking with officers, he said.
Contreras exited the vehicle at the requests of officers but when they asked him to conduct sobriety tests, he refused to provide an answer, English said.
Officers determined Contreras’ driver’s license was revoked and he was unable to provide proof of vehicle insurance, English said.
If convicted of aggravated DUI for driving drunk with a suspended license, Contreras could be subject to a Class 3 felony which could bring one to three years in prison and impose loss of his right to hold public elected office.
English said he was unable to share further information about Contreras’ arrest. He did say Contreras indicated he was coming from a party but it was unknown where he was going.
English said Contreras was charged with aggravated DUI because his license was revoked for DUI. He did not know how many DUI convictions Contreras has.
On Jan. 6, 2016, at Elkhart County Superior Court No. 5 in Indiana, Contreras pleaded guilty to operating a vehicle while intoxicated and endangering a person, according to court records. A charge of operating a vehicle with alcohol concentration equivalent to 0.15 or more was dismissed with prejudice.
Contreras is the second member of the Joliet Township board who’s been in legal trouble this year.
In March, Will County prosecutors filed a civil complaint to remove Joliet Township Trustee Karl Ferrell from office after arguing his past felony record makes him ineligible for elected office. Judge John Anderson is supposed to decide this week whether Ferrell can stay on the board.