'Large Amounts' Of Cocaine, Weed Leads To Charges For Fleeing Couple

LAKE FOREST, IL — Police said a man and a woman were arrested Tuesday after fleeing the scene of a traffic crash with injuries in Lake Forest.

Marco Barete, 32, of Skokie, and Lizbeth Flores, 23, of Highwood, were taken into custody held ahead of their initial court appearance on Wednesday, according to police.

Officers were dispatched to the scene of a three-car crash at the intersection of Route 41 and Westleigh Road around 2:45 p.m. Multiple people suffered non-life-threatening injuries in the crash, police said.

Before officers arrived, witnesses notified dispatchers that two people had left the scene of the crash on foot. Officers found both of them in the area and took them into custody as they attempted to flee.

According to Lake Forest Police Deputy Chief Michael Lange, police found more than $10,000 in cash and "large amount of illegal cannabis and cocaine" with the help of a police dog.

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Prosecutors subsequently approved a series of charges for both of them and sought and obtained an order detaining the woman, while the felonies faced by her codefendant are non-detainable — meaning they are not serious enough to be jailed for while awaiting trial under Illinois recently enacted bail reforms.

Barete is charged with leaving the scene of an injury accident, unlawful possession of a controlled substance and felony driving with a license revoked, all of which are the lowest class of felony. He was also cited over having an open container of cannabis as a driver and not having insurance.

Flores was charged with class X intent to deliver more than 15 grams, the most serious type of felony charge, along with unlawful possession of 48.4 grams of cocaine and intent to deliver 48.3 grams of cannabis, according to police.

According to a spokesperson for the state's attorney's office, officers found Flores, at the time of her arrest, had been on probation due to pleading guilty to aggravated driving under the influence. She also had an active arrest warrant for failure to appear in court.

A judge on Wednesday ordered that Flores be held ahead of trial. Court records indicate Lake County prosecutors have also filed paperwork to revoke her probation.