A suspect, wanted for stealing a vehicle and fleeing police multiple times on Wednesday, led multiple police agencies on a pursuit from Gurnee that ended in a crash in Waukegan.
Lake County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Chief Christopher Covelli said Felix Guadarrama, 31, of Waukegan, had been spotted on Wednesday in Mundelein in a stolen Ford Explorer.
It was reported he was armed with a firearm, Covelli said.
The stolen vehicle fled from several police agencies multiple times throughout the day before being recovered abandoned in Lake Forest on Wednesday afternoon.
Investigators determined Guadarrama abandoned the stolen Explorer and got into a red GMC Envoy.
Covelli said a Lake County sheriff’s deputy observed the GMC traveling westbound on Grand Avenue near Route 21 in Gurnee around 5:35 p.m. Wednesday.
The deputy confirmed the driver was Guadarrama and a traffic stop was attempted.
Guadarrama fled and a pursuit ensued due to the report that he was possibly armed with a firearm and involved in the earlier vehicle theft, Covelli said.
The fleeing GMC approached the intersection of Grand Avenue and Dilleys Road where it sideswiped two vehicles at low speeds while attempting to pass through traffic.
The GMC lost its front left tire but continued to flee for approximately 20 minutes.
Covelli said the pursuit ended when the GMC collided with a Toyota Camry in the intersection of Glen Flora Avenue and Lewis Avenue in Waukegan.
Guadarrama and a passenger, later identified as Brianna Koch, 22, of Lake Villa, both fled from the GMC on foot.
A brief foot chase ensued and Guadarrama and Koch were taken into custody.
Guadarrama was tased by deputies during his apprehension due to him actively resisting arrest, Covelli said.
The driver of the Toyota was transported to an area hospital with minor, non-life-threatening injuries.
Covelli said Koch was found to be in possession of approximately 24 grams of methamphetamine and 10 grams of cocaine.
The Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office approved charges against Koch for unlawful possession of methamphetamine, a Class 1 felony, and unlawful possession of cocaine, a Class 4 felony.
The state’s attorney’s office approved charges against Guadarrama for four counts of aggravated fleeing to elude, Class 3 and 4 felonies, as well as numerous traffic violations. Additional charges are possible.
Both Koch and Guadarrama remain in custody in the Lake County Jail pending a First Appearance Court hearing on Thursday morning.