Officials say a man intentionally struck his wife with a car multiple times, leaving her in critical condition and flown to the hospital, after an argument over the disclosure of her inheritance in Oakwood Hills.
Pablo Contreras, 50, of Oakwood Hills, was charged with aggravated domestic battery, failure to report a crash involving injury, aggravated battery with a deadly weapon and leaving the scene of a crash involving injury.
The Oakwood Hills Police Department and Cary Fire Protection District responded around 7:37 p.m. Friday to the 0-100 block of Valley Drive in Oakwood Hills for a report of a pedestrian struck by a vehicle.
A 911 caller reported a man intentionally ran over a woman with a vehicle and the victim suffered head trauma.
The Cary Police Department and McHenry County Sheriff’s Office also responded to the scene to assist.
A LifeNet medical helicopter was initially placed on standby and then requested to respond, according to Cary Fire Protection District Public Information Officer Alex Vucha.
The victim was transported by ambulance to the helipad at Mercyhealth Hospital and Physician Clinic – Crystal Lake.
Vucha said the patient was transferred to the flight crew and flown to Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville, which is a Level 1 trauma center.
She suffered critical, life-threatening injuries, Vucha added.
According to police radio traffic, Contreras fled the scene in the gray 2020 Volkswagen Jetta but later returned to the scene and was detained by officers.
A criminal complaint filed in McHenry County Circuit Court alleges Contreras caused great bodily harm to his wife, with whom he lives with at the Valley Drive home.
Contreras got into the Volkswagen and reversed out of the driveway, striking the victim with the rear of the car, the complaint said.
She was knocked to the ground and Contreras continued backing his vehicle up, running over the woman’s body with the Volkswagen’s tires, the complaint said.
Contreras drove over the woman’s body again when driving away from the scene, the complaint said.
The victim was left lying on the roadway in front of their home with blood on her face and head, along with bruising around her exposed torso.
Medical staff reported she suffered a crushed pelvis and a possible skull fracture and was placed on a breathing tube.
Court documents said that Contreras and his wife were having an argument regarding the disclosure of the woman’s inheritance.
A witness reported the couple was outside and the victim was behind Contreras’ Volkswagen when he placed the car in reverse and knocked her down into the street.
The witness told police that Contreras continued to drive and drove over the victim’s body despite hitting her with the car, court documents said.
Contreras placed the car into drive and drove over the woman again, the witness reported.
Court documents said two children were home at the time of the incident and Contreras first denied hitting his wife with the car before making a conflicting statement saying he did not mean to.
Contreras was transported to the McHenry County Jail and was transported to Initial Appearance Court hearing on Saturday.
The victim’s sister testified during the court hearing about her injuries, including her clavicle and her carotid artery, along with the fact that she is intubated and awaiting surgery.
The McHenry County State’s Attorney’s Office filed a petition to detain Contreras pending trial.
McHenry County Judge Jeffrey Hirsch granted the request and said that the man poses a serious threat to his wife.
“There is a strong showing of dangerous, particularly because after hitting the victim once with the vehicle, defendant did not stop or render aid or call for an ambulance, instead he drove over her a second time driving away from the scene. When he drove away he left his injured spouse severely injured in the middle of the road,” Hirsch said.
“As such there are no less restrictive means to mitigate the risk posed by the defendant to his spouse, and the Court accepts the defendant’s stipulation,” the judge said in his ruling.
Contreras is scheduled to appear in court again on June 2 for a status of preliminary hearing.