Pingree Grove man accused of 5th DUI, following 3 girls to Elgin

A Pingree Grove man faces his fifth charge of DUI after he harassed three girls and bumped into at least two cars, police said.

Brodie J. Murch, 39, of the 700 block of Bristol Street, has been charged with felony DUI, aggravated DUI, driving while license revoked, DUI and resisting arrest, according to police and Kane County court records.

If convicted of the most severe charge, Murch faces anywhere between probation and 15 years in prison.

The manager of a pizzeria on Randall Road in Elgin called police at 3:58 p.m. Friday saying a man in a 2004 silver Nissan 350Z had followed three restaurant employees from Huntley to Elgin.

"He had been tailgating them, yelling at them, asking them to race and generally frightening them," an Elgin police report said.

The pizzeria manager tried to talk to the driver, who smelled of alcohol and appeared drunk, in the parking lot, police said, but the man sped off. Minutes later, according to police, two drivers called to report that the same driver had bumped their vehicles along Randall Road.

Murch eventually was arrested on Route 20, and police found a mixed drink of vodka and cranberry juice in his car, they said.

Murch presented a driver's license from New York, where he had four previous DUI convictions resulting in prison time, according to the police report.

Murch refused field sobriety tests and was put in a padded cell after two hours of banging on his cell door and walls, the report said.

He is being held at the Kane County jail on $30,000 bail, meaning he must post $3,000 to be released while his case is pending.

Murch is next due in court on Thursday.