Chicago man allegedly caught with catalytic converters after leading police on chase, crashing vehicle
Dexter Williams
CHICAGO - A Chicago man is accused of leading police on a high-speed chase in Lombard before crashing into a light pole early Saturday.
At about 1:09 a.m. Saturday, 37-year-old Dexter Williams allegedly reached speeds of about 100 mph on eastbound Roosevelt Road in Lombard before crashing his car into a light pole at Ogden Avenue and Western Avenue in Chicago.
After crashing the vehicle, Williams and two other individuals allegedly attempted to flee on foot before being taken into custody.
During a search of Williams' vehicle, authorities discovered four catalytic converters, a jack, a Sawzall and Sawzall blades.
Williams faces multiple charges, including one count of receiving, possessing, or selling a stolen motor vehicle or essential part, one count of aggravated fleeing and eluding, one count of possession of burglary tools, and a dozen misdemeanor and petty traffic offenses, including resisting or obstructing a police officer.
"Last year, DuPage County saw a significant increase in the numbers of people who attempted to flee from police instead of pulling over," said DuPage County Robert Berlin. "With the weather getting nicer and people out traveling more, law enforcement in DuPage County is determined to not have a repeat of the epidemic of fleeing and eluding we saw last year. Make no mistake, we will use every tool at our disposal, including helicopters, drones and the assistance of neighboring jurisdictions to arrest and charge anyone who attempts to flee from police. This behavior unnecessarily puts the officers involved and thousands of innocent motorists at great risk and will simply not be tolerated."
Williams was ordered detained, with his next court appearance scheduled for March 18."