Authorities: Man led police on chase from Wisconsin to Gurnee

A Waukegan man faces multiple charges after authorities said he rammed into a police squad car in Wisconsin and led law enforcement on a high-speed chase ending in Gurnee.

Jesus Catalan, 31, of the 1000 block of Grand Avenue, Waukegan, has been charged in Illinois with obstructing justice, criminal damage to property, aggravated driving under the influence, aggravated fleeing to elude, reckless driving and driving with a suspended driver’s license. Catalan also was charged with being a fugitive from justice, authorities said.

Lake County sheriff’s dispatchers were alerted at 3:40 a.m. Friday of a police pursuit from Wisconsin into Illinois. The person being pursued was wanted for ramming a squad car from the Pleasant Prairie Police Department in Wisconsin, according to Lake County sheriff’s Deputy Chief Christopher Covelli.

Wisconsin law enforcement used spike strips to try to disable the fleeing vehicle. Though one of the four tires was deflated, the driver continued fleeing at up to 100 mph, authorities said.

The driver went south on Interstate 94, before going south on Route 41 into Illinois. Lake County sheriff’s deputies picked up the chase and immediately began clearing intersections, so the driver did not strike and injure or kill an innocent bystander, according to Covelli.

Additional deputies were attempting to deploy spike strips further south on Route 41. While deploying the stop strips, Wisconsin officers were able to “box-in” the vehicle, causing the driver to finally stop, Covelli said.

The driver, who refused to provide his information, was taken into custody and brought to the Lake County jail to be fingerprinted, Covelli said. After being identified, Catalan was charged in Illinois.