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West Chicago man charged after 100 mph police chase with loaded gun: police

By Lauren Westphal
Published  April 3, 2026 3:14pm CDT
Crime and Public Safety
FOX 32 Chicago

The Brief

    • A 20-year-old West Chicago man, Carlos Barrera, is charged with multiple felonies after allegedly fleeing police at high speed while carrying a loaded handgun.
    • Police say the incident began when he reportedly flashed a gun at a man walking his dog, then led officers on a chase reaching about 100 mph and struck another vehicle.
    • The pursuit ended after spike strips stopped his car; Barrera was arrested and is due in court on April 27.

WEST CHICAGO, Ill. - A West Chicago man has been charged with leading police on a high-speed chase while illegally having a loaded gun, according to the DuPage County State's Attorney's Office.

Carlos Barrera, 20, has been charged with two felony counts of aggravated fleeing police, one felony count of aggravated unlawful possession of a weapon, and multiple misdemeanors, including battery and driving on a suspended license.

On April 2, West Chicago police say they responded to a 911 call around 11:45 p.m. in the 800 block of Lincoln Avenue. According to the report, an individual inside a vehicle flashed a gun at another person walking his dog. 

Carlos Barrera, 20 (DuPage County State's Attorney)

According to police, when an officer attempted a traffic stop of the vehicle, later identified to have been driven by Barrera, the car fled west on Ann Street at a high speed. Barrera allegedly went onto Roosevelt Road, going about 100 mph near Winfield Road. Police say that during the pursuit, the officer was traveling head-on towards Barrera's car and Barerra hit another car that was stopped at a stop sign in order to avoid police.

Ultimately, Wheaton police used a spike strip to stop Barrera and take him into custody. Police say they found a loaded Smith & Wesson 9 mm handgun with one bullet in the chamber.

What they're saying:

"The allegations that Mr. Barrera fled from police at a high rate of speed while armed with a loaded gun are extremely disturbing," DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin said. "Once again, a defendant who thought they could outrun law enforcement in DuPage County learned the hard way that our officers are extremely well-trained to safely apprehend those who flee instead of pulling over. Thankfully, no innocent pedestrians or motorists were injured as a result of Mr. Barrera’s alleged actions."

"The dangerous and reckless actions allegedly taken by Mr. Barrera - fleeing at speeds of 100 m.p.h. and striking another vehicle, placed our officers and the entire community at significant risk," West Chicago Chief of Police Colin Fleury said.

What's next:

Barrera's next court appearance is scheduled for April 27.

The Source: Details for this story were provided by the DuPage County State's Attorney's Office.

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