Police: DUI Suspect Attacked, Threatened Riverside Officers
CHICAGO (STMW) -- A west suburban man charged with DUI in Riverside early Sunday has also been accused of attacking officers and damaging police equipment during his arrest.
Officers spotted a car driving northbound on Harlem near Ogden at 1:13 a.m., according to a statement from Riverside police. It had only one headlight and was traveling at 45 mph in a 35 mph zone.
They also observed the driver taking actions consistent with impaired driving, such as slowing down and speeding up repeatedly, changing lanes without signaling and drifting across all four lanes, police said. When they stopped the car, they smelled alcohol on the driver's breath in addition to the smell of marijuana from inside the car.
The driver, 35-year-old Carlos Rodriguez, failed a field sobriety test and was taken into custody, police said. While he was being transported to the Riverside Police Department for booking, he began bashing his head on the inside of the prisoner cage in the police car and threatened to urinate on an officer.
He continued to be combative inside the police station, punching, kicking and spitting on officers while he was being booked, police said. He also damaged police department equipment and injured his hand punching out lights in the cell and booking area.
Rodriguez was taken to Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood to be treated for lacerations on his hand from punching out the glass lights, according to police. He was then returned to police custody, where he continued to be combative throughout the morning. He had to be restrained several times and repeatedly made threats to officers, including "cutting their necks off and performing mutilation acts," police said.
Rodriguez, who lives in the 1600 block of South 61st Avenue in Cicero, was charged with aggravated battery to a police officer, two counts of aggravated assault to a police officer, criminal damage to property and possession of marijuana, police said. He was also cited for driving under the influence, speeding, driving with one headlight, improper lane usage, failure to signal and driving without proof of insurance.
He was ordered held on a $20,000 bond Monday morning, according to the Cook County sheriff's office.
(Source: Sun-Times Media Wire © Chicago Sun-Times 2016. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
