Joliet man faces felony DUI charge

A Joliet man driving a Honda sedan was arrested on a felony charge early Friday after he tried to flee from a police officer who later detected signs that he was allegedly under the influence of alcohol.

At 1:50 a.m. Ruben Lopez, 52, was booked into the Will County jail on a felony charge of aggravated driving under the influence and a misdemeanor charge of resisting arrest.

About an hour earlier, an officer parked in the 800 block of Cass Street had seen the Honda sedan driven by Lopez that had an equipment violation, according to a statement from Joliet police spokesman Olin Torkelson.

The officer who arrested Lopez completed a report about the incident that was filed in court. In a somewhat illegible handwritten portion of that report, the officer said he saw the vehicle’s “front right tire was complete missing” and that Lopez had “failed to yield to an emergency light [and] siren.”

Torkelson said the officer tried to conduct a traffic stop on the Honda, but the driver of the Honda refused to stop and continued driving to the 200 block of Maple Street, where it eventually stopped.

The officer spoke with Lopez, who displayed signs of intoxication, Torkelson said.

In the officer’s report, he said Lopez had a strong odor of alcohol on his breath, bloodshot eyes and an open alcohol container in the vehicle.

Torkelson said Lopez refused commands to exit the vehicle, and the officer had to remove him.

Lopez was arrested after a brief struggle, he said.

A $95,000 bond was set for Lopez, who remained in jail as of Friday.