Prosecutors say a woman tried to murder her former boyfriend by intentionally running him over on Belvidere Road in Waukegan, leaving him unresponsive as she fled the scene Monday evening.
Esmeralda Ramirez, 19, of Waukegan, was charged with attempted first-degree murder, three counts of aggravated battery of a peace officer, aggravated battery with a deadly weapon and leaving the scene of a crash involving injury or death.
The Waukegan Police Department and Waukegan Fire Department responded around 6:52 p.m. Monday to the area of Belvidere Road and Dilger Avenue for a report of a vehicle crash with injuries.
A 911 caller reported a pedestrian had been struck by a vehicle and appeared to be dead.
Officers arrived and found a pedestrian who had been struck by a vehicle on Belvidere Road east of Dilger Avenue near the Taco Bell.
It was determined that the male victim was unresponsive and not breathing, Lake County Assistant State’s Attorney Elizabeth Cannon said.
He was lying in the middle of Belvidere Road. Bystanders called 911 and stood by him in traffic to prevent him from being hit again.
The Waukegan Fire Department arrived and performed lifesaving measures, with the victim eventually beginning to breathe again and regain consciousness, Cannon said.
A witness described the speeding offending vehicle as an older model silver SUV, which drove eastbound, cut her off and then swerved to hit the victim, who was standing in the center median.
The SUV swerved back into eastbound traffic and fled the scene. A broken driver’s side mirror was scattered on the street at the scene.
Cannon said a second witness followed the suspect vehicle and called 911, leading police to it.
Officers made contact with Ramirez and found her to be driving under the influence of alcohol.
Cannon said Ramirez had a strong odor of alcoholic beverage coming from her, bloodshot and glassy eyes and slurred speech.
The woman told officers she and the victim were in a relationship and had gotten into a verbal argument earlier in the day. Family members said that the victim is actually in a relationship with another woman, not Ramirez.
Lake County Assistant State’s Attorney Emily Shanley-Roberts said Ramirez intentionally struck the victim and that it was caught on surveillance video from the Taco Bell.
The video showed the victim walking southbound from the east side of Taco Bell and jogging across the westbound lanes into the center median.
He raised his hands in the center median and Ramirez’s vehicle entered the video frame and drove into the victim, throwing his body from the median to the westbound lanes, Shanley-Roberts said.
The SUV almost struck an oncoming vehicle, which stopped. The black sedan that was nearly hit made a U-turn and followed the SUV while the driver notified police.
Two cars nearly struck the pedestrian as he was lying in the road before another stopped and put their hazards on to halt traffic.
Officers stopped Ramirez in the parking lot of Belvidere Mall, Shanley-Roberts said. She initially failed to stop for them.
Ramirez was mad at the victim for driving her car and getting a red light camera ticket, Shanley-Roberts said.
Detectives spoke to the victim in the hospital the next morning and he said he was driving Ramirez’s car the night prior with her in the car and two other people.
He ran a red light that had a red light camera, causing Ramirez to become angered, Shanley-Roberts said. He and the other two passengers got out and walked away, leaving Ramirez with her car.
Officers went to take Ramirez into custody and she began resisting arrest, spat in an officer’s face and then bit another officer, causing visible marks, Shanley-Roberts said. She also kicked another officer.
Maxine Gonzalez-Romero said the victim is a family friend of hers and he is from Waukegan. He is alive and recovering but in a lot of pain across his body. “… but we are happy he is alive!”
Gonzalez-Romero said the family is thankful for the people who got out of their cars and stood by him so he would not get hit again.
Lake County Judge James Newman granted a petition to detain Ramirez pending trial after prosecutors successfully argued she poses a danger to the victim and others.
Ramirez is scheduled to appear in court again on February 17 for a preliminary hearing.