Cristopher Martinez Mendoza (left), Iban Pelayo (right)
DUPAGE COUNTY - Two Elgin men are accused of leading police on a high-speed chase after shooting at another vehicle on a Chicago area expressway Sunday morning.
Cristopher Martinez Mendoza, 19, is charged with one felony count of aggravated discharge of a firearm – direction of an occupied vehicle and one felony count of aggravated unlawful use of a weapon – No FOID.
Martinez Mendoza’s co-defendant, Iban Pelayo, 19, is charged with one felony count of aggravated discharge of a firearm – direction of an occupied vehicle and one felony count of aggravated fleeing and eluding.
The backstory:
Early Sunday, the victims were driving on the off-ramp from Interstate 290 to Lake Street in Addison when a gray Hyundai Sonata approached them from behind, prosecutors said.
The Sonata moved onto the shoulder and then back onto the off-ramp, hitting the front passenger side of the victims' car with its driver's side. The car, allegedly driven by Pelayo, did not stop and continued driving.
The victims followed the Sonata, which struck a mailbox near Stone Avenue and Ellsworth Avenue but still did not stop. As they continued to follow the car near Lake Street and Villa Avenue, Martinez Mendoza allegedly leaned out of the passenger window and fired a handgun at them. The victims then stopped following the Sonata and called the police.
At around 1:06 a.m., an Elmhurst police officer received information about the Sonata's location. The officer spotted the vehicle near the I-290 eastbound on-ramp from Lake Street and activated his emergency lights and siren.
Instead of stopping, Pelayo allegedly sped off, reaching about 115 mph on I-290. The Sonata eventually crashed on the exit ramp to St. Charles Road, going airborne, rolling over, and landing on its tires. Pelayo allegedly tried to drive away but was stopped by authorities and taken into custody.
Martinez Mendoza reportedly fled the vehicle but was caught about 10 minutes later.
During a search of the Sonata, authorities found two live 9 mm rounds.
They also discovered a Polymer 80 "ghost gun" and a loaded 9 mm magazine in a culvert where Martinez Mendoza allegedly threw the weapon while fleeing.
What they're saying:
DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin condemned the actions of two defendants accused of crashing into a vehicle, shooting at it, and leading police on a high-speed chase, emphasizing that such behavior has serious consequences.
"The alleged actions of both of these defendants are outrageous and will not be tolerated in DuPage County," Berlin said. "Crashing into and then shooting at another vehicle before leading police on a high-speed chase, as alleged in this case, may be something you see in the movies, but in DuPage County, this type of behavior will quickly land you behind bars. Thankfully, no innocent motorists were injured or killed as a result of the defendants’ alleged actions."
What's next:
A judge granted the state’s motion to detain the two men pre-trial.
Martinez Mendoza's next court appearance is scheduled for April 7. Pelayo’s next court appearance is scheduled for March 24.
The Source: The information in this article was provided by the DuPage County State’s Attorney's Office.