A Round Lake Beach man appeared in court Thursday where prosecutors said he was driving over three times the legal limit and speeding when he crashed into a house near Lake Villa on Christmas Eve, killing a man.
Marcos Corona-Vargas, 31, of Round Lake Beach, was charged with reckless homicide, a Class 3 felony, and driving under the influence, a Class A misdemeanor.
The Lake County Sheriff’s Office and Lake Villa Fire Protection District responded around 7:25 p.m. on December 24 to the 21300 block of West Engle Drive in unincorporated Lake Villa for reports of a car that crashed into a home.
Sheriff’s deputies arrived and located a Jeep and a home that had sustained major damage, according to Lake County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Chief Christopher Covelli.
A preliminary investigation showed Corona-Vargas, the driver of the Jeep, was traveling eastbound on West Engle Drive.
According to witnesses, Corona-Vargas’s vehicle crossed into the westbound lane of traffic and then back into the eastbound lane, Covelli said.
Corona-Vargas drove off the roadway on the south side, into a yard and the Jeep crashed into the home.
The home was unoccupied at the time of the crash, Covelli said.
Axel Maldonado Guerrero, 22, of Round Lake Beach, who was sitting in the front seat of the Jeep, was critically injured and pronounced dead at the scene.
Covelli said another 22-year-old Round Lake Beach man, who was sitting in one of the back seats, was seriously injured and transported to an area hospital for treatment.
Corona-Vargas suffered serious injuries and was transported to an area hospital for treatment.
Sheriff’s traffic crash investigators determined Corona-Vargas was driving under the influence of alcohol at the time of the crash, Covelli said.
He was released from the hospital on Tuesday — a week after the crash — into the custody of the Lake County Sheriff’s Office and transported to the Lake County Jail.
Lake County Assistant State’s Attorney Elizabeth Cannon said beer cans were found inside the Jeep.
The seriously injured passenger told investigators they had been drinking at a friend’s house and that Corona-Vargas had a lot of beer — approximately five or six.
Cannon said Corona-Vargas admitted to driving 50-55 mph in a 30 mph zone after drinking beer.
He said he lost control of the car and that there was ice on the ground.
Corona-Vargas’s blood alcohol content was 0.27, over three times the legal limit, Cannon said. He also allegedly had cannabis in his system.
Corona-Vargas, who was in a neck brace and a wheelchair, appeared virtually from the jail in First Appearance Court on Thursday morning.
His attorney, Robert T. Ritacca, said that Corona-Vargas has approximately 14 staples in his head after being released from the hospital and still needs to undergo spinal surgery.
The Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office filed a petition to detain Corona-Vargas pending trial.
Lake County Judge Michael Nerheim ordered Corona-Vargas held in custody until a detention hearing, which he set for Friday afternoon.