Woman charged with DUI in crash that killed Cook County sheriff's deputy

CHICAGO (SUN TIMES MEDIA WIRE) - A 21-year-old woman faces multiple felony charges after a Cook County sheriff’s deputy died in an alleged DUI crash Monday night in the Mount Greenwood neighborhood on the Far South Side.

Monzerat Perez, of south suburban Markham, was charged with felony counts of aggravated driving under the influence that caused a deadly accident, reckless homicide with a motor vehicle and escape from a police officer, according to Chicago police.

Bail was set at $50,000 for Perez during a hearing Thursday at the Leighton Criminal Court Building, according to court records.

She is accused of killing Nick Theofanopoulos, about 9 p.m. Monday as he was driving to Christ Medical Center to relieve a fellow deputy, Cook County sheriff’s office spokeswoman Sophia Ansari said.

The 39-year-old veteran deputy was driving north in the 10300 block of South Kedzie Avenue when he struck Perez’s Jeep as she backed out of a driveway and began turning southbound, police said.

He was transported to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where he died, authorities said.

Perez was taken to the same hospital and remained there for treatment, police said. She is scheduled to appear in bond court on Thursday.

Theofanopoulos lived in southwest suburban Oak Lawn, the Cook County medical examiner’s office said. An autopsy Tuesday found he died of multiple injuries from the crash and his death was ruled an accident.

He was employed with the sheriff’s office for more than 15 years, Ansari said. His most recent assignment was the Cook County Department of Corrections’ external operations unit.

Perez was next scheduled to appear in court on Feb. 11.