Round Lake Beach man faces drug charge after car chase

A Round Lake Beach man will be detained pretrial on charges he fled police while armed with a gun and possession of methamphetamine.

Fernando Poblete Lopez, 29, of the 400 block of Meadow Green Lane, was arrested Monday in Oak Brook.

He is charged with unlawful possession of a weapon by a felon, one count of possession of a firearm with a defaced serial number, possession of methamphetamine, and aggravated fleeing and eluding a police officer.

According to authorities, an Oak Brook police officer tried to stop a Ford Explorer at around 3:22 p.m. near 22nd Street and Midwest Road for having a tinted windshield and changing lanes improperly.

Police allege that Poblete Lopez disobeyed a stop sign, went south on Midwest, drove through a gasoline station parking lot onto 22nd Street, and got on to eastbound Interstate 88.

He then drove onto eastbound I-290, exited at Mannheim Road, went to Roosevelt Road, stopped at Euclid Avenue and ran off.

Authorities say Lopez threw away 24.2 grams of methamphetamine during the foot chase. A loaded 9 mm Sig Sauer handgun was found in the car.

According to a prosecutor’s petition for detention, Lopez told police he ran because he did not want his wife, who was a passenger, to get in trouble.

Poblete Lopez has felony convictions for burglary, theft, and possession of methamphetamine, according to the petition.

His next court date is Dec. 23.