Illinois police arrest two Hondurans after finding fentanyl in fire

GRUNDY COUNTY, IL – Two Honduran nationals were arrested last week after a police chase that ended in a fire disaster in Grundy County.

On Oct. 24, at approximately 3:57 p.m., the Grundy County Sheriff’s Unit attempted to pull over a red 2010 Infiniti with suspended California plates near Kankakee Road and IL Route 17. Just hours before, the same vehicle had managed to elude Illinois State Police on Interstate of Route 80, according to the sheriff’s office.

When deputies turned on their headlights to stop the vehicle, it sped off, starting a short chase, police said. The second deputy quickly deployed a tire deflator, which successfully punctured one of the tires. But instead of stopping, the suspects drove off-road and barreled into a nearby cornfield.

The deputy subsequently used a PIT maneuver to stop the vehicle. When the car stopped, it caught fire and the fire spread to the freshly cut cornstalks around it.

Both suspects jumped out and ran, but were soon apprehended. When deputies searched the car, they found three kilograms of suspected fentanyl.

The two men arrested are 18-year-old Roibin Barahona and 23-year-old Cristian Anajel Erazo Velazquez, both from Honduras. They face multiple charges including trafficking in a controlled substance, possession of fentanyl and resisting arrest.

Baraona was previously reported missing from a teenage ranch in California, while Velasquez had an immigration detainer warrant.

State officials held a pretrial release hearing as required by the Illinois SAFE-T law. The state prosecutor wanted to detain both suspects because of the nature of the charges.

Velasquez was held because of an outstanding warrant and a criminal record, while Barajona was released because of a lack of prior records within the required time frame, according to Illinois state Sen. Sue Rezin.

Soon after, Rezin said California authorities released Barahona’s juvenile history, which could have changed the outcome had it been known earlier.

In light of this incident, Rezin and Grundy County Sheriff Ken Briley are calling for changes to the SAFE-T Act, particularly regarding the 48-hour window for pretrial release hearings. They argue that this time frame limits law enforcement’s ability to fully assess a suspect’s history.

“According to the DEA, the amount of fentanyl seized in this arrest is enough to kill 1.5 million people. These horrifying statistics highlight the very real danger our communities face from this commercial poison,” Rezin said. “The pretrial release of this suspect highlights the critical gaps that remain in the SAFE-T Act that must be addressed so that our local law enforcement and judicial system have all the tools they need to protect the public.”

Rezin said she is also considering new legislation that would make serious fentanyl-related charges automatically subject to jail time, putting the onus on the defense to prove why they should be released.