South Suburban DUI Arrests, Jan. 6

FRANKFORT

DEC. 20: Ronald H. Grimmenga, 47, of the 7700 block of Bristol Park Drive in Tinley Park, was cited for driving while intoxicated and having a blood alcohol concentration of more than .08 at 11:25 p.m. on the 200 block of Wisconsin Road. He was released on bond. His court date is Jan. 2.

DEC. 21: Aurelio Ramirez, 49, of the 100 block of Mt. Lauren Court in Romeoville, was cited for driving with a suspended license, no insurance, illegal transportation of alcohol, driving while intoxicated, disobeying a traffic control device, driving in the wrong lane and improper lane usage at 10:39 p.m. at the intersection of Harlem Avenue and Lincoln Highway. He was released on bond. His court date is Jan. 9.

OAK FOREST

DEC. 29: Sherri A. Urbanski, 40, of the 15800 block of LeClaire Avenue, was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol, illegal transportation of alcohol and cited for improper lane usage after a traffic stop at the intersection of 159th Street and Central Avenue.

At 11:03 p.m., police were dispatched to 147th Street and Central Avenue after a resident called in an erratic driver. While exiting the police station, officers located the vehicle passing the station and began to follow the vehicle in their squad car. While following the vehicle down Central Avenue, officers saw the car travel below the posted speed limit and cross the double yellow line more than once and initiated a traffic stop at the BP Gas Station on 159th Street.

During the stop, officers noted a strong odor of alcohol coming from Urbanski. Urbanski told officers she had not been drinking prior to the stop, but later in the interview admitted to drinking about 10 hours prior to the stop at her father's house. Officers had Urbanski perform standard field sobriety tests, which she failed in their opinion and placed her into custody.

During a search of Urbanski's car, officers located an open bottle of vodka inside her handbag inside the car. She was taken to the Oak Forest police department, where she was charged and booked. She was released to her fiancee and is scheduled to appear in court on Jan 15.

ORLAND PARK

DEC. 9:  Police pulled over a driver for squealing tires and crossing over lane lines in the 14700 block of 82nd Avenue around 2:40 a.m. The driver’s breath smelled like alcohol, his eyes were red and watery and his face was flushed, police said. Officers found that his license had been revoked and he failed field sobriety tests, police said. Felony charges were placed against him for driving under the influence on a revoked license, and for this being his fourth DUI charge, according to the report. Jack S. Odell, 61, of the 15800 block of Orlan Brook Drive in Orland Park, was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol, driving an uninsured vehicle, improper lane use, illegal squealing of tires, driving with a revoked license and two counts of aggravated driving under the influence.

PALOS HEIGHTS

DEC. 22: Josue Herrerea, 22, of the 100 block of Bayview Court in Steger, was charged with driving without a license, improper lane use, driving under the influence and driving with a blood-alcohol content greater than 0.08, according to a police report. Herrerea's vehicle was stopped at about 2:31 a.m. near 12800 S. Harlem Avenue for a lane violation. Officers said the driver had bloodshot eyes, slurred speech and a smell of alcohol on his breath. Herrerea took field sobriety tests and, after his arrest, gave a breath sample. Herrerea was booked and given a $3,000 bond.

DEC. 23: Kimberly M. Widlacki, 45, of the 5700 block of West 129th Street in Crestwood, was charged with improper lane use and driving under the influence, according to a report. Police stopped Widlacki's car at about 2:13 a.m. near 6800 W. 127th St. Officers said she committed a lane violation. During the stop, Widlacki failed field sobriety tests and was arrested, police said. She was charged and given a $3,000 bond.

TINLEY PARK

DEC. 23: Tinley Park police charged Frank Lesiak, 74, of 7428 W. 111th St. in Worth, with driving under the influence after he was stopped on Dec. 23.

Police said a motorist told them he had been in an accident minutes earlier near 143rd Street and Harlem Avenue and described the car that had struck him after making a U-turn on Harlem. Police said they soon spotted the car and pulled it over after it had drifted over the center line repeatedly.

Police said the driver identified himself as Frank Lesiak and that he agreed to take field sobriety tests that he failed.  He asked to take a breath alcohol test and registered .108; .08 is considered drunk in Illinois.

When told he had failed, police said Lesiak became uncooperative and cursed at them. Officers said he told them he couldn't be driving drunk because he was a Police Commiisioner in Worth.

Police said Lesiak continued to berate officers while they transported him to the Tinley Park police station repeatedly saying they "would rot in hell."

Police said Lesiak had slurred speech and the strong odor of alcohol on his breath. Officers said in their report that Lesiak measured .114 on a second breath alcohol test administered at the police station.

Cook County police handled the accident report, which was not available. Worth Police Chief Martin Knolmayer confirmed that Lesiak is a Police Commissioner for the village.

"He informed me about the incident," Knolmayer said. Lesiak was later released on bond and given a court date.

Police report information is provided by local police departments. Charges are not evidence of guilt. They are a record of police actions on a given day, and persons charged with a crime are presumed innocent until proven guilty in court. If you or a family member are charged or cited and the case is subsequently adjudicated, we encourage you to notify the editor. We will verify and report the outcome.