Park Ridge man charged in stolen car chase

A Park Ridge man driving a stolen vehicle led Des Plaines police on a chase that ended with the man being stunned with a Taser to subdue him, according to police reports.

Alexander Ponzio, 48, of the 2100 block of Woodview Lane, was arrested about 1:05 a.m. Aug. 23 and charged with aggravated fleeing and eluding, aggravated possession of a stolen motor vehicle, criminal damage to property, driving with revoked license, resisting a peace officer and traffic violations. Some of the charges are felonies.

Police said an officer on patrol saw Ponzio driving a Ford pickup truck at a high rate of speed from northbound I-294 to eastbound Dempster Street. The truck had been reported stolen from a construction site near I-90 and Cumberland Avenue, according to police.

Ponzio sped away from the officer, who chased him north on Potter Road, west on Church Street, south on Good Avenue, east on Suffield Street, south on Potter Road, east on Senate Drive, north on Macarthur Court, and west on Congress Drive, police said.

He fled the truck on foot on the 9300 block of Congress, police said, but the truck continued to roll until it struck a small tree. Ponzio ran through an apartment complex, followed on foot by the officer, police said.

Ponzio stopped running on the 9100 block of Macarthur and gave himself up, police said. The officer ordered Ponzio to get on the ground, but he took an aggressive step toward the officer, who then stunned him with a Taser, according to police reports.

Ponzio was checked at Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge and released with no noticeable injury. police said.