A Wauconda man was arrested after authorities say he drove intoxicated, caused a crash and fled on foot in Long Grove before being tracked down with the help of a sheriff canine.
The Lake County Sheriff’s Office responded around 3:25 p.m. Wednesday to Route 22 and Old McHenry Road for a vehicle crash.
The 911 caller reported the man who rear-ended his car fled on foot, according to Lake County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Chief Christopher Covelli. No one was injured in the crash.
The caller provided a description of the offender to Lake County sheriff’s dispatchers, who then provided the description to responding deputies.
Deputies arrived and established a perimeter in the area to conduct a search.
Covelli said Sheriff’s Deputy Kevin Gauer and Canine Axel responded to the scene.
Axel obtained the scent of the man who fled and immediately began tracking.
The canine tracked nearly two miles into Heron Creek Forest Preserve, Covelli said. The Lake County Forest Preserve Rangers were informed of the situation.
The suspect, later identified as Yiyari C. Salvador, 26, of Wauconda, was located next to a forest preserve trail by a sheriff’s deputy and forest preserve ranger.
Salvador was taken into custody without incident. He was found to be under the influence of alcohol, Covelli said.
Salvador was charged with two counts of driving under the influence of alcohol, leaving the scene of a traffic crash and obstructing a peace officer.
He was transported to the Lake County Jail and released from custody. He is scheduled to appear in court on September 25.
“This is yet another great example of collaboration between sheriff’s employees and outside agencies. Our 911 emergency telecommunicators obtained and relayed critical information to sheriff’s deputies and forest preserve rangers in the field,” Sheriff John D. Idleburg said.
“From there, our deputies established a perimeter, and a sheriff’s canine successfully tracked the suspect to an awaiting sheriff’s deputy and forest preserve ranger,” Idleburg said.