Prosecutors say a mother, who was wanted on a warrant, fled from officers at a high rate of speed and ditched her child in the middle of the street during the police chase in Bannockburn.
Brittney E. Laarveld, 39, of Chicago, was charged with aggravated fleeing to elude police, driving on a suspended license and endangering the life of a child.
Lake County Assistant State’s Attorney Lillian Lewis said officers spotted Laarveld’s vehicle traveling 55 mph in a 40 mph zone on July 24, 2024.
They followed Laarveld’s vehicle and conducted a traffic stop on her.
She pulled over and officers obtained Laarveld’s identification. Lewis said Laarveld told the officers she was trying to get her son to football practice.
An officer went back to their squad to check Laarveld’s information when she fled in her car from the traffic stop.
Lewis said Laarveld fled at a high rate of speed eastbound on Half Day Road in Bannockburn.
Squad dashcam video captured Laarveld driving the car and driving away “at a very high rate of speed,” Lewis said.
Lewis said Laarveld sped around other vehicles in traffic and officers pursued her.
Officers traveled over 70 mph to catch up to her. Laarveld turned onto Ridge Road where she dropped off her juvenile son in the middle of the street and sped away, Lewis said.
Officers stopped and picked up the child but did not continue the pursuit. Laarveld was driving on a suspended license at the time.
Police brought the child back to the police department where his grandmother came to pick him up.
Laarveld also had an active warrant at the time in a 2019 Lake County case where she was convicted of possession of a controlled substance and sentenced to probation.
Prosecutors filed a petition to revoke her probation in 2022 and she failed to appear in court, which led to the warrant.
Laarveld was not arrested following the police chase and an arrest warrant was obtained for her in August 2024. She was arrested last weekend and the charges against her are non-detainable.
“This is… Class 4 aggravated fleeing is non-detainable?” Lake County Judge James Simonian questioned during a First Appearance Court hearing last weekend.
“And we’re just not going to file a petition to revoke pre-trial release for violation of the Class A?” the judge asked a prosecutor in court before being forced to release Laarveld from custody.
Prosecutors said that they could not file any petitions to hold Laarveld in custody due to the SAFE-T Act.
Simonian ordered Laarveld to be placed on Level 2 pre-trial services monitoring, comply with probation terms, not drive without a valid license and comply with the recommendations or orders of DCFS.
“Ma’am, you will be released. The State of Illinois says the allegation of fleeing and eluding is not something which could cause a reasonable court to say you may be a flight risk while you’ve been wanted on a warrant for three years,” the judge said.
Laarveld is scheduled to appear in court again on March 18 for a status of preliminary hearing.