The driver of a vehicle that struck and killed a 65-year-old pedestrian has been charged with aggravated driving under the influence causing death, Cook County Sheriff Thomas J. Dart said today.
At approximately 11:20 a.m. on Friday, Jan. 17, a beige 2002 Chevrolet struck Janina Kasperek in the 300 block of Greenwood Avenue. Kasperek, of Niles, was found in a drainage area on the west side of the roadway.
She was taken by ambulance to a local hospital where she was pronounced dead.
The vehicle was found in a drainage area on the east side of the roadway. The driver and passenger declined medical attention.
The driver of the vehicle, 18-year-old Dustin Aranda, of unincorporated Des Plaines, tested positive for THC and for Benzodiazepine. Sheriff’s Police investigators also found a sealed bag with 27 grams of marijuana. Aranda was charged Thursday with aggravated driving under the influence causing death and possession of cannabis with intent to deliver.
Dustin Aranda (police photo).
The passenger, 18-year-old Jocelyn Maldonado Verdin, of Niles, was charged Thursday with possession of cannabis with intent to deliver.
Aranda’s bond was set at $270,000 and Verdin received a $20,000 I-bond (own recognizance) with electronic monitoring at their court appearances Friday at the Skokie Courthouse.
THC or tetrahydrocannabinol is the principal psychoactive constituent of marijuana.
Benzodiazepine a core class of drugs including Diazepam or Valium, Lorazepam or Ativan, Chlordiazepoxide or Librium and many others.
Sheriff Dart reminds the public that the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty by the government in a court of law.
Jocelyn Maldonado Verdin (police photo).
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