Joliet Driver With Mexican Passport 'Only Had 2 Beers': Forfeiture

JOLIET — The Will County State's Attorney's Office of Jim Glasgow continues to pursue civil forfeiture cases against Joliet residents accused of various crimes. In recent days, prosecutors filed a civil forfeiture complaint against 47-year-old Jose Gomez of Joliet, in connection with crimes of aggravated DUI and having no valid driver's license.

The forfeiture pertains to a 2007 Acura TSX. The vehicle is not owned by the defendant, but rather Oscar Salazar, who also lives at the same address as Gomez, in the 2900 block of Joliet's Warren Dorris Drive.

Following his Joliet police arrest, Gomez stayed in the Will County Jail for three days in February. According to the forfeiture complaint, Joliet police officers Trujillo and Meza were patrolling Henderson Avenue and Cass Street on Feb. 8 when they saw the 2007 Acura TSX travel into the other lane while making a right turn.

The officers followed the car and saw it travel into the dividing center lane in the 600 block of Washington Street, court documents indicate. Joliet police made a traffic stop, and Gomez furnished his Mexican passport. Gomez told Joliet police he did not have a driver's license and that he only had two beers, the court records say.

Joliet police took Gomez into custody on charges of driving under the influence, no valid license and driving while license revoked for DUI. At the Joliet police station, Gomez's breath sample registered at 0.21, which is more than two times the legal limit to be considered drunk in Illinois, court files show.

The forfeiture noted that Gomez was taken to the Will County Jail because he also had a failure to appear in court warrant for his 2018 aggravated DUI charges in Will County.

According to last week's forfeiture complaint from State's Attorney Jim Glasgow's staff, "plaintiff prays that the vehicle be declared forfeited and either ordered sold at public auction, destroyed or delivered to a law enforcement agency of the state of Illinois."