Glendale Heights man charged with shooting gun in air, starting high-speed police chase
Elexei Garcia | DuPage County State's Attorney's Office
GLENDALE HEIGHTS, Ill. - A Glendale Heights man has been denied pre-trial release following charges of firing a gun in a residential neighborhood and leading police on a dangerous high-speed chase, authorities announced Tuesday.
Glendale Heights police were called to the 1700 block of Gilberto Street around midnight in response to a domestic dispute. According to prosecutors, 34-year-old Elexei Garcia had an argument with his wife at their home. As his wife attempted to leave, Garcia allegedly blocked her vehicle with his own and banged on her windows, officials said. When she exited her vehicle to walk away, Garcia reportedly followed her and, from roughly 15 feet away, pulled out a gun and fired a shot into the air.
Following the gunfire, Garcia allegedly returned to his vehicle and fled the scene. Police attempted to stop him near Gilberto Street and Altgeld Avenue, but Garcia allegedly sped away, reaching speeds of 88 mph in a 35-mph zone and driving across a grass parkway. He was eventually taken into custody by Wheaton police officers around 12:40 a.m.
Garcia was charged with one count of aggravated fleeing and eluding a police officer and one count of reckless discharge of a firearm, both classified as Class 4 felonies.
Judge Joshua Dieden granted the motion to keep Garcia in custody ahead of his next court appearance.
Garcia is scheduled for an arraignment on Aug. 19 before Judge Mia McPherson.