Men charged with street racing, reckless homicide in fatal Bartlett crash
BARTLETT (Sun-Times Media Wire) - Two men have been charged with reckless homicide for a crash that killed two others during an alleged street race earlier this year in northwest suburban Bartlett.
Uriel Zenteno, 23, and Jordan Gant, 20, were each charged with aggravated street racing and reckless homicide for the Sept. 25 crash at Stearns and Munger roads in Bartlett, according to a statement from the DuPage County state’s attorney’s office.
Zenteno and Gant are accused of driving west on Stearns toward Munger at a high speed shortly before 5:50 a.m. when Zenteno lost control of the 2007 Chevrolet Cobalt he was driving, crossed into oncoming traffic and hit a Nissan Altima and a Land Rover Range Rover, prosecutors and Bartlett police said.
Zenteno was driving at approximately 84 mph at the time of the crash and had reached speeds of up to 100 mph during the race, while Gant had been driving at more than 90 mph, according to prosecutors.
The crash killed the driver of the Nissan, 40-year-old Chris Arbeen, as well as 23-year-old Miguel Flores, who was a passenger in the Chevrolet, the state’s attorney’s office said.
“The blatant disregard for public safety allegedly exhibited by both of these men is astounding and will be met with the full force and effect of the law,” DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin said in the statement.
Zenteno, who lives in West Chicago, and Gant, who lives in Bolingbrook, both appeared in court before Judge Alex McGimpsey on Thursday, prosecutors said. Zenteno’s bail was set at $300,000, while Gant’s was set at $200,000.
Both men were due back in court on Dec. 11.