Palatine man charged with sixth DUI

A Palatine man with five previous DUI convictions was ordered held on $100,000 bail Tuesday after authorities say he was intoxicated when his car struck a fire hydrant Monday afternoon.

Andres Chavez, 39, is charged with aggravated DUI. If convicted, he faces a sentence of six to 30 years because of his record.

Cook County Judge Ellen Mandeltort ordered Chavez submit to electronic monitoring and forbade him from "driving under any circumstances."

Palatine police responded about 3:30 p.m. Monday to a call about a vehicle striking a hydrant, according to Assistant Cook County State's Attorney Devin Mapes. Witnesses provided police with a description of the driver, vehicle and license plate, which officers used to locate the owner's residence, Mapes said. Arriving at the defendant's home, they saw a vehicle matching the description and identified the driver as Chavez, Mapes said, adding officers noted he had an odor of an alcoholic beverage, bloodshot eyes and slurred speech.

Chavez's DUI convictions date from 2007 to 2013 and included sentences ranging from 18 months to eight years in prison, prosecutors say. Chavez also has a 2017 conviction for aggravated battery causing great bodily harm for which he was sentenced to three years in prison, a 2006 conviction for domestic battery which carried a two-year sentence, a 2004 conviction for unlawful possession of a weapon which carried a two-year sentence and a 2003 robbery conviction for which he spent 180 days in jail, according to prosecutors.

He next appears in court March 26.