South Suburban DUI Arrests, Nov. 4

CHICAGO HEIGHTS

Oct. 27: Joseph W. Hart, 42, of the 14600 block of Center Avenue in Harvey, was arrested and charged with driving under the influence of alcohol after police stopped him near the intersection of Independence and Chicago roads for improper lane use, according to the report. upon smelling alcohol on Hart, police asked him if he would submit to field sobriety tests. He refused, according to the report. Hart took a Breathalyzer test at the station, and registered a blood alcohol content level of above the legal limit, police said.

MOKENA

Oct. 27: Thomas Moore, 27, of the 10500 block of Drew Court, was charged with reckless driving, DUI, disobeying a stop sign and speeding after he led police on a chase through the neighborhood.

According to the report, police spotted Moore speeding south on LaGrange Road and squealing the car tires while turning west on 191st Street. Police pursued while he turned left on Everett Street and then onto Willow Street. In a neighborhood where the speed limit is 25 mph, Moore was driving about 55 mph, the report said.

He turned onto Kirkstone Way, where police finally caught up to him. According to the report, Moore failed the field sobriety test. His vehicle was towed.

TINLEY PARK

Oct. 23: Salvatore John Dinolfo Jr., 35, of the 19100 block of South Weber Road in Mokena, was charged with driving under the influence, disobeying a traffic control device, failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident and operating an uninsured vehicle.

Police responded at around 3 a.m. on Oct. 23 to a two-vehicle crash with injuries at the intersection of 183rd Street and 80th Avenue, the report stated. Police interviewed Dinolfo while firefighters from the Tinley Park Fire Department were extracting him from the driver's seat of his gray, 2003 Dodge pickup truck, the report continued.

During the interview, the officer reported smelling a strong alcohol odor on Dinolfo's breah and noticing his speech slurring, the report stated. When asked what happened, Dinolfo said, “I’m driving home when I was hit by a car,” according to the report.

The officer then asked Dinolfo where he was coming from, and he said, “From 122 [a bar at 12219 S. Pulaski Road in Alsip]," adding that he thought he was still in Alsip, the report stated.

Dinolfo finally was removed from his truck and then told the paramedics treating him that he had consumed alcohol before the accident, the report stated. Dinolfo also told the emergency room doctor at Advocate Christ Memorial Hospital in Oak Lawn, where he was taken for treatment, that he drank six to eight beers before the crash, the report continued. After receiving medical attention, Dinolfo submitted to a blood and urine tests, the report stated. The results of those tests were not given in the police report.

Dinolfo was admitted to the hospital, and citations for the charges were giving to him there, the report stated. He was told he needed to go to the Tinley Park Police station for processing after he was released from the hospital. His next court date is Dec. 4.

ORLAND PARK

Oct. 20: Police pulled a car over after seeing it cross over into oncoming traffic on Lakeview Drive near Montgomery Drive around 11:55 p.m. A caller said the same car had been driving in and out of lanes around Orland Square Drive and Lakeview Drive, police said. The driver’s breath smelled like alcohol and he failed field sobriety tests, police said. Felipe D. Correa, 35, of the 9000 block of Lunar Avenue in Orland Park, was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol, driving an uninsured vehicle, driving without a valid license and improper lane use.

Oct. 19: Police found a man asleep behind the wheel of a parked running car in the drive gear around 3:40 a.m. near 135th Street and Southwest Highway. The man remained asleep while police turned off the ignition and removed the keys, according to the report. His breath smelled like alcohol and he failed field sobriety tests, police said. John M. Carr, 47, of the 15100 block of 109th Avenue in Orland Park, was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol, driving an uninsured vehicle, driving without a license, disobeying a traffic control device and failure to notify of an address change.

PALOS HEIGHTS

Oct. 27: Elizabeth C. Ortega, 31, of the 4800 block of West 157th Street in Oak Forest, was charged with possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia, speeding, transportation of alcohol and two counts of driving under the influence of alcohol, according to a report. Police said Ortega's vehicle was stopped for speeding at about 2:43 a.m. near 12900 S. Harlem Ave. During the stop, officers saw the driver had bloodshot eyes and could smell alcohol, police said. Ortega failed sobriety tests and tested a blood-alcohol level greater than 0.08. Police searching the vehicle found two smoking pipes and a leafy substance. Ortega was booked and given a bond of $1,500.

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.