The 41-year-old man charged in connection with a 34-minute police pursuit and 90-minute standoff April 7 in Aurora has been booked in the Kendall County jail, where officials said his total bail is set at $290,000.
Antonio J. Bazaldua, 41, of the 100 block of Robinhood Lane, Bolingbrook, is charged with two class 4 felony counts of aggravated fleeing police in connection with the April 7 chase, according to charges filed in Kendall County court. One charge alleges he was traveling at least 21 miles over the speed limit as he fled police. He was also charged with two class A misdemeanors — resisting a peace officer and obstructing identification — and several traffic offenses, including driving on a suspended license, speeding between 26 and 34 miles per hour over the limit and disregarding an official traffic control device.
The man was initially taken to an Aurora hospital for evaluation after the standoff ended when police fired bean bag rounds and used a police dog to apprehend him. On Monday, police spokesman Dan Ferrelli said the man was still in the hospital.
A new warrant was issued for Bazaldua’s arrest Monday, setting bail at $250,000, Kendall County State’s Attorney Eric Weis said.
Bazaldua apparently turned himself in to the sheriff’s office Thursday, said Det. Brian Harl. In addition to the latest charges, Bazaldua was given $10,000 and $30,000 bails for other cases, Harl said.
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On March 28, Kendall County Sheriff’s deputies stopped Bazaldua in Oswego Township, near Goodwin Drive at Hill Avenue, for a defective front windshield and found he was driving on a suspended license, according to sheriff’s reports. He was also charged with fleeing or attempting to elude a peace officer, operating an uninsured motor vehicle and driving with an obstructed front windshield.
Bazaldua was not previously taken into custody on the March 28 charges, because he fled the scene by driving away and deputies did not initiate a pursuit, Harl said. A warrant was issued for his arrest March 31, according to court records.
About 2:44 a.m. April 7, an Aurora police sergeant saw Bazaldua driving a Honda Civic southbound on Hill Avenue near Fifth Avenue on the city’s East Side. The sergeant ran the car’s plate, learned its registered owner — the driver — was wanted on several warrants out of Kendall County and pulled it over at Hill and Goodwin Drive, near the Kendall County line, police said.
As the sergeant was walking back to his squad car to continue investigating after obtaining information from Bazaldua and his passenger, an Aurora woman, the other car drove away, beginning a pursuit that police said went through all four counties in which Aurora is located, along with parts of Oswego and Plainfield.
About 3:04 a.m., the man let the passenger out of the car near Second Avenue and Ohio Street, then continued driving until about 3:21 a.m., when he stopped on Ogden Avenue just west of Waterford Drive near Rush-Copley Medical Center, police said.
At the department’s request, the hospital went on lockdown for nearly two hours, prompted by police activity near its entrance, said Rush-Copley spokeswoman Courtney Satlak.
The standoff last 90 minutes, with the man for the most part staying in his car and repeatedly ignoring orders to come out, police said. When the man got out of his vehicle about 4:48 a.m. he continued refusing orders to show both hands, police said.
Not two minutes later, police said they shot three bean bags at the man, all striking him and knocking him to the ground. Still unsure if the man was armed, police said they incapacitated him using a trained dog, which bit him in the thigh, Police took him into custody at 4:50 a.m. without further incident.
The man, who sustained minor injuries from the dog bite and bean bags, was taken to an undisclosed Aurora hospital.
Aurora police have not responded to messages left Thursday seeking further information about Bazaldua and have not said when he was released from the hospital.
Court records indicate he was on probation at the time of both recent pursuits.
On Feb. 23, Bazaldua pleaded guilty in Kane County to resisting or obstructing a police officer, a class A misdemeanor, and was sentenced to 90 days in jail with good time to apply – cutting his sentence in half – and credit for 27 days already served since his arrest in January. Jail records indicate he was released March 13. He was then on probation, sentenced to 18 months of conditional discharge, according to court records.
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