On June 28, 2019, Sheriff’s Crash Investigators obtained the blood/urine chemical test results of the driver of the Ford E350. The results showed the driver, Victor H. Ortiz, 51, of the 1400 block of Kildeer Drive, Round Lake Beach, was driving under the influence of alcohol during the time of the crash.
After receiving the results, Sheriff’s Crash Investigators received a tip that Ortiz was intending on fleeing the country and traveling to Guatemala. Crash Investigators secured an arrest warrant for Ortiz. On June 29, 2019, a Lake County Judge signed the arrest warrant for four counts of Aggravated Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol (Class 2 Felonies) and two counts of Reckless Homicide (Class 3 Felonies). The Judge set at a $500,000.00 bond on the warrant.
Sheriff’s Crash Investigators began working to locate Ortiz. They received information that he might have boarded a charter-bus, which was traveling to Texas and eventually to Guatemala. Chicago Police 010TH District Tactical Officers determined Ortiz was a passenger on a Turimex Bus, which departed Chicago on June 29th at 1:30PM.
A short time later, Chicago Police 010TH District Tactical Officers located the bus in the area of I-57 and West 111th, Street Chicago. Chicago PD conducted a traffic stop and took Ortiz into custody.
Ortiz currently remains held at the Cook County Jail pending extradition to Lake County.
Sheriff John Idleburg said, “Because of the thorough and fast investigation conducted by Sheriff’s Crash Investigators along with the terrific assistance provided by Chicago Police 010TH District Tactical Officers, we took an offender who killed two people because he was driving drunk into custody, before he could flee from the country. I’m pleased the first-step of justice was served for the families of the victims, which was possible because of strong law-enforcement collaboration.”
Sheriff Idleburg reminds the public all defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
Double-Fatal Fremont Township Traffic Crash (Issued 6/9/19)
On June 8, 2019, at approximately 9:05PM, Lake County Sheriff’s Deputies were dispatched to Fairfield Road north of Route 60, Fremont Township, for a traffic crash with injuries. Sheriff’s Deputies arrived and located a three-vehicle head-on crash.
Preliminary investigation shows a Ford E350, driven by a 51-year-old man of Round Lake Beach, was traveling southbound on Fairfield Road, north of Route 60. For an unknown reason, the driver of the Ford crossed the double-yellow-striped median into the northbound lanes. The Ford struck the driver’s side of a northbound Honda Odyssey, driven by a 42-year-old man of Hainesville. The Ford then struck a northbound Kia Forte, driven by a 56-year-old female of Ingleside, head-on.
The driver of the Kia sustained significant injuries and was pronounced deceased at the scene. A front-seat passenger in the Kia, a 64-year-old female of Round Lake Beach, also sustained significant injuries and was pronounced deceased at the scene. The driver of the Ford and driver of the Honda were transported to Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville with non-life-threatening injuries.
The Lake County Coroner’s Office responded to the scene and an autopsy is scheduled for Monday for the two occupants of the Kia.
The crash remains under investigation by the Lake County Sheriff’s Office Technical Crash Investigations Unit. Crash investigators will work to determine why the driver of the Ford crossed the median into the wrong lane of traffic.