Man pleads guilty to killing Carpentersville woman, unborn child in crash
A Carpentersville man pleaded guilty Friday to killing a woman and her unborn child in a crash four years ago.
Frank Ruiz, 22, of the 100 block of Cordova Road, pleaded guilty to one count of reckless homicide in the death of Rocio Hernandez-Balderas of Carpentersville.
He will be sentenced on July 21. He could receive probation or up to five years in prison.
On May 19, 2018, Ruiz was driving a GMC Yukon SUV north on Route 25 near Golfview Lane when he went through a red light without stopping. He was going 48 mph, which was 13 mph over the limit, an assistant state's attorney told Judge Salvatore LoPiccolo. The SUV struck an eastbound Toyota Corolla.
The prosecutor said Ruiz told authorities he had been distracted by his younger brother, who was sitting in the back seat.
Hernandez-Balderas, 32, was pronounced dead at Advocate Sherman Hospital in Elgin. She was 37 weeks pregnant.
Ruiz was charged in December 2018 and has been free on a personal recognizance bond.