Saying he can’t “stop shooting himself in the foot,” a Lake County Judge ordered a Round Lake Beach man who tried to lie to officers after causing a crash on New Years Day held until trial.
Fabian Ponce, 30, is charged with two felony and one misdemeanor counts of aggravated driving and a misdemeanor count of DUI drugs stemming from a crash in the 1500 block of Cedar Lake Road in Round Lake Beach on Jan. 1, 2024, officials said.
However, Ponce was free from Lake County jail on charges of aggravated battery to a peace officer, resisting arrest, and reckless driving since the January 1 accident. He was taken back into custody again May 30 on a warrant after the state’s attorney’s office approved the four charges stemming from the crash.
Assistant Lake County State’s Attorney Dino Katris said a Round Lake Beach officer on patrol spotted a white Chevy van roll by slowly on Cedar Lake Road before the driver punched the accelerator and taking off at a high rate of speed at 2:10 a.m. on January 1.
Several minutes later, the same officer was dispatched to an accident down the street where the white van was flipped on its side and a Honda Accord was showing to have heavy damage to the driver’s side door.
Ponce told the officer who approached at the scene of the accident that he was a passenger in the Honda and the driver and passenger of the of the van had run from the scene.
However, the officer interviewed two other people involved in the crash, learned they were the driver and only passenger of the Honda, and said Ponce instructed them to lie to police, Katris said.
They told the officer they had no idea who Ponce was, that Ponce was the driver of the van, and the van was driving recklessly and fishtailing on the roadway before slamming into the side of the Honda, Katris said.
Katris said the driver of the Honda also said Ponce walked up to their vehicle after the crash, offered $3,200 for damages to the car, then instructed the victims to tell officers he was a passenger of the car and the driver had run away.
Katris added Ponce told the Honda driver, “Whatever you do, don’t tell the cops. Do not snitch.”
The officer said Ponce also had slurred speech, glassy eyes, and refused to cooperate with police who attempted to place him under arrest. Ponce shoved an officer down to the ground in a scuffle with police before finally being taken into custody, Katris said.
Ponce’s BAC came back at a 0.133 and tested positive for cocaine in his system, Katris said in court. In addition, Katris said Ponce later admitted to having a few drinks at a New Years Eve party before getting behind the wheel.
During the detention hearing Monday, Katris said Ponce kept failing conditions set forth when he was released from jail in January including repeated violations for drinking from March to May, ignoring a court order to remain on 24-hour curfew, and refused to check in with pretrial services.
Katris also said Ponce has never held a valid drivers license and never carried insurance on his vehicle.
Lake County Associate Judge Theodore Potkonjak ordered Ponce held until trial.
“(Ponce) has been in front of me a couple of times now and the court has stressed what you are supposed to do,” Potkonjak said. “But he insists on repeatedly shooting himself in the foot. It’s clear there are no conditions the court could set he would adhere too.”
Ponce is due back in court on June 25.