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DUPAGE COUNTY - A Villa Park man is being held in custody after prosecutors say he led officers on a high-speed chase before punching one in the face early Sunday morning.
What we know:
According to prosecutors, a Villa Park officer spotted a 2021 Hyundai Palisade around 3:49 a.m. Nov. 2 on St. Charles Road. The SUV matched a vehicle that had reportedly fled from Cicero police earlier that evening.
When the officer tried to pull the car over, the driver, later identified as 18-year-old Aizik Davila, allegedly sped off instead, hitting about 113 mph in a 30 mph zone.
Aizik Davila
Police deployed stop sticks near Westmore Avenue, forcing the Hyundai to stop. An officer then blocked the driver’s door with his squad car, officials said.
However, Davila and three unidentified passengers allegedly ran from the car. During a foot chase through a residential area, prosecutors said Davila ignored repeated commands to stop, and when an officer grabbed him as he tried to jump a fence, he allegedly punched the officer twice in the face before running off again. A second officer took him into custody a short time later.
What they're saying:
In a statement, DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin called the allegations "outrageous" and said they would "be met with the full force of the law."
"The allegations that after leading officers on an extremely dangerous high-speed chase, Mr. Davila punched a uniformed police officer multiple times in the face are outrageous and will be met with the full force of the law," Berlin said. "Thankfully the officer was not seriously injured."
Villa Park Police Chief Todd Kubish added the suspect's behavior "is not acceptable."
"The accused is yet another individual who chose to flee from the police, a behavior that, unfortunately, has become increasingly common in other communities where such actions are too often tolerated," Kubish said. "Our officers are highly trained and effective in safely and efficiently apprehending these individuals, as demonstrated in this incident and many others before it. Additionally, the accused allegedly struck one of our uniformed officers, another unacceptable act that has, regrettably, become more frequent in society today. Let me be clear: in Villa Park, this behavior is not acceptable, it is not tolerated, and those who engage in it will be held fully accountable."
What we don't know:
Authorities have not identified the three passengers who ran from the car or said why the vehicle initially fled from Cicero police.
What's next:
Davila appeared in court Monday, where a judge granted prosecutors’ request to detain him before trial. He’s charged with aggravated battery to a police officer (a Class 2 felony), aggravated fleeing and eluding (a Class 4 felony), and misdemeanor resisting a police officer.
His next court appearance is scheduled for Dec. 1.
The Source: The information in this story came from the DuPage County State’s Attorney’s Office and Villa Park Police Department.