Mother Ran From Police With Baby
On Tuesday April 23, 2024 just before 4 PM, a police officer with the Lake County Sheriff’s Department was driving his patrol car northbound on I-65 from U.S. 30 when traffic stopped due to a fatal crash. Indiana State Police were investigating the crash, which was on northbound I-65 just south of the Ridge Road exit. All lanes of traffic were stopped and the Lake County police officer was also stopped in the far left lane of traffic. The officer observed a white Chevy passenger car speed past him on the shoulder. The vehicle was traveling so fast, it struck a piece of metal, kicking it into the air. The metal struck the police officer’s patrol unit.
The police officer activated his emergency lights and sirens, drove onto the shoulder and pursued the reckless driver. At times the car was traveling at well over 110 miles per hour. The car eventually stopped just south of where emergency workers were gathered at the fatal crash.
The Lake County police officer exited his vehicle and approached the driver of the Chevy. He observed a small child sitting in the rear passenger seat. The officer ordered the driver to get out of the car several times but she refused to comply. The driver had to be pulled from the vehicle and resisted attempts to place her in handcuffs. A trooper with the Indiana State Patrol assisted in securing the suspect. A 4-year-old boy was taken out of the car. Child Protective Services was notified and the boy was placed with his grandmother.
An open can containing an alcoholic beverage was found in the cup holder of the car. The driver is identified as 48-year-old Ana Lidia Perez, of Grayslake, IL. She was taken by ambulance to an area hospital for evaluation and treatment and is now in custody at the Lake County Jail.
Perez faces charges including operating a vehicle while intoxicated, reckless driving and endangering the life of a person less than 18-years-old.
