PONTOON BEACH – A man from Cicero faces his sixth DUI charge after allegedly driving drunk with a minor passenger in his vehicle before being arrested by state police.
Fernando Orozco, 45, of Cicero, Ill., was charged with his sixth offense of aggravated driving under the influence, a Class X felony. Orozco was additionally charged with a Class 4 felony count of aggravated driving under the influence and a Class A misdemeanor count of endangering the life or health of a child.
In this case, a 15-year-old child was a passenger in the vehicle Orozco was operating under the influence on I-270 and IL-111 in Pontoon Beach.
Orozco’s driver’s license had also been revoked or suspended at the time of this latest incident. Charging documents state Orozco had previously been convicted of driving under the influence on five prior occasions from 2007 to 2022, each in Cook County, Ill.
A petition to deny Orozco’s pretrial release states the Illinois State Police responded to a report of “a vehicle with heavy front-end damage stopped in a lane of traffic,” which was obstructing traffic on the southbound IL-111 exit ramp.
“In speaking with the defendant, he exhibited signs of intoxication,” the petition states. “His speech was slurred, with the odor of alcohol emitting from his breath. He was placed under arrest for DUI. Defendant’s minor son was traveling with the defendant at the time of his arrest. Defendant has multiple prior DUIs.”
The Illinois Police Department presented the case against Orozco, who was ordered remanded to jail for his initial court appearance in this case.
All individuals charged are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
