An Aurora man accused of driving drunk with guns in his car during a weekend police chase was booked in jail Wednesday, with bail set at $100,000.
Fernando Morales, 34, of the 1900 block of Heather Drive, is charged with aggravated driving under the influence of alcohol on a suspended or revoked license, aggravated fleeing a police officer driving at least 21 miles an hour over the limit, and driving while his license was suspended or revoked for a prior DUI, all class 4 felonies, according to Kane County court records.
Morales crashed a 2015 Ford Expedition into a guard rail at about 11:30 p.m. Sunday while speeding away from an Aurora police officer who was pursuing him, according to a statement the police department posted on Facebook.
The event began at a gas station on the 400 block of South Lincolnway, where North Aurora officers took a report of an assault that allegedly involved the drive of the Ford Expedition, according to the statement.
An Aurora police officer responding to the gas station to help the other department first tried to stop the Expedition, police said in the statement.
About a minute later, another Aurora officer saw the SUV traveling “at a high rate of speed” near Indian Trail and Aurora Avenue, police said.
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The second officer pursued the Expedition northbound on Mitchell, reaching speeds of about 75 miles per hour, until the Expedition struck a guard rail on Mitchell just south of Konen Avenue and stopped, police said.
Police said they found a loaded .40 caliber handgun and an unloaded .380 caliber gun while searching the car.
The driver, Morales, sustained minor injuries that were treated at an Aurora hospital, while his only passenger, a 37-year-old woman, declined medical treatment, police said. She was released without charges.
In addition to the felonies, Morales was charged with speeding 40 miles per hour or more over the limit, a class A misdemeanor.
Pending further investigation, police said additional charges may be filed.
Police have not responded to questions sent Wednesday morning seeking further information.
Morales had been wanted out of Kendall County for allegedly driving on a revoked license, according to police. Court records show Oswego police ticketed him in July 2016 for driving on a revoked license and released him on a personal recognizance bond.
Records show Morales has a long criminal history in Illinois, including prison sentences for aggravated robbery and aggravated battery causing great bodily harm in 2005 in Will County and aggravated unlawful use of a weapon in 2010 in Kane County, an Aurora police case.
He is scheduled to appear May 19 in Courtroom 311 at the Kane County Judicial Center.
Twitter @hannahmleone