Police charge man in fatal Aurora hit-and-run
The man police believe was driving during a fatal hit-and-run accident Monday in Aurora now faces four criminal charges for leaving the scene of the accident, authorities said Friday.
Gustavo Villarreal, 44, of the 1600 block of Dearborn Avenue in an unincorporated area near Aurora, faces felony charges of leaving the scene of an accident involving a death, leaving the scene of an accident involving an injury, and two counts of leaving the scene of an accident involving death or injury, Aurora police said.
Villarreal has been at large since the accident at 5:33 p.m. Monday on Church Road near Corporate Boulevard that killed 57-year-old Theresa M. Burns of Des Plaines and injured a 25-year-old Plainfield man. An arrest warrant with bond set at $1 million has been issued, police said.
Burns and the Plainfield man were on Church Road before the accident attempting to rescue an 18-year-old female student who had run from Northern Illinois Academy and sat in a southbound lane, authorities said. The two were staff members at the school at 988 Corporate Blvd., which serves students with psychiatric challenges.
Police said they believe Villarreal was driving his 1997 Chevrolet GEO Metro south on Church Road when he struck the two victims. He then stopped the car and fled on foot and police have not been able to find him.
Villarreal’s family has been cooperating with the investigation and reported him missing Wednesday to the Kane County sheriff, authorities said.
Villarreal is described as a Hispanic man with brown hair and eyes who stands about 5 feet 8 inches tall and weighs 158 pounds.
Anyone with information about Villarreal’s whereabouts is asked to call Aurora traffic investigators at (630) 256-5330 or Aurora Area Crime Stoppers at (630) 892-1000.