Joliet Squad Damaged As Motorist Tries To Avoid DUI Arrest: English

JOLIET — The Joliet Police Department said that a 43-year-old woman faces a slew of criminal charges after she backed her car into a squad car following a DUI stop, arrest reports show.

Although Gloria Gutierrez was given her notice to appear in Will County court on charges of DUI, fleeing and eluding a peace officer, reckless driving, resisting a peace officer, and obstructing a peace officer, she was taken to the Will County Jail because she had arrest warrant out of Arapahoe County, Colorado.

Joliet police took Gutierrez into custody on Monday, during the middle of the night.

According to police spokesman Dwayne English, at 2:02 a.m., the overnight shift officers on duty stopped a Toyota Avalon parked with its lights off in an alley behind the 200 block of East Cass Street. The same vehicle had just been seen driving erratically on East Cass, he said.

Officers approached and identified the driver as Gutierrez, who showed signs of possible alcohol impairment, according to police. Gutierrez refused commands, rolled up her window, turned on the headlights and yelled at officers to back away before putting the vehicle in reverse, English said.

The police noted that officers deployed stop sticks, puncturing the rear tires of the vehicle, as Gutierrez backed into a squad car trying to flee. Despite being advised she was under arrest, she continued to ignore the commands from the police, police said.

Eventually, the officers broke the driver’s side window, removed Gutierrez from the vehicle, and took her into custody without further incident. An open alcohol container was found in the car, and a Colorado arrest warrant was confirmed for failure to appear in court on prior assault charges, English said.

Gutierrez was also cited for illegal transportation of alcohol and her vehicle was towed from the scene, Joliet police said.