A Wisconsin woman has been charged with causing a drunk driving crash that left her 22-year-old female passenger dead and a man injured in Waukegan.
The Waukegan Police Department and Waukegan Fire Department responded around 11 p.m. on August 20, 2020, to the area of Lewis Avenue and Brookside Avenue for a vehicle crash with injuries.
Officers located a serious crash involving a red 2008 Dodge hatchback and a black 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee, according to then-Waukegan Police Commander Joe Florip.
Investigators learned the Dodge was traveling southbound on Lewis Avenue at Brookside Avenue when it crossed the center line and struck the Jeep, which was traveling northbound.
The Dodge was driven by Noelia M. Guillen-Vega, who was a Waukegan resident at the time.
Thania Maravilla, 22, of Waukegan, was sitting in the front passenger seat of the Dodge.
Maravilla was pronounced dead after being transported to an area hospital. Guillen-Vega was hospitalized with serious but non-life-threatening injuries.
The driver of the Jeep, a Waukegan man in his 20s, suffered moderate injuries and was transported to an area hospital.
The Jeep was also occupied by the driver’s 4-year-old son, who was not injured.
Investigators early on in the investigation said alcohol was believed to be a contributing factor in the crash.
Guillen-Vega, now 35 and a Kenosha, Wisconsin resident, was charged in May with aggravated driving under the influence causing death, reckless homicide and aggravated driving under the influence with prior offenses.
An arrest warrant was issued for Guillen-Vega carrying a $500,000 bond at the time when the charges were filed.
Guillen-Vega was taken into custody earlier this week.
She remains held in the Lake County Jail and would need to post $50,000 cash in order to be released.