South Suburban DUI Arrests, April 8

April 1: Amber R. McGowan, 31, of the 2400 block of 183rd Street in Homewood was charged with driving under the influence (DUI), driving with BAC greater than 0.08, improper lane usage and speeding. Police said McGowan failed field sobriety and breath tests after stopping her car in the 12200 block of Harlem Avenue around 2 a.m. for drifting between lanes and traveling 49 in 35 mph zone.

March 31: Bernard L. Cooper, 25, of the 7300 block of Sandalwood Drive in Tinley Park was charged with DUI, driving with BAC greater than 0.08, and speeding. Police said Cooper failed field sobriety and breath tests after stopping his car in the 13100 block of Harlem Avenue around 12:30 a.m. for traveling 51 in 35 mph zone.

March 31: James S. Savaiano, 30, of the 14400 block of South Lamon Avenue in Midlothian was charged with DUI and improper lane usage. Police said Savaiano failed field sobriety tests but refused to take a Breathalyzer after stopping his car in the 12400 block of Harlem Avenue around 1:45 a.m. for drifting between lanes.

March 31: Alejandro Rueda, 36, of the 4500 block of 150th Street in Midlothian was charged with DUI, driving with BAC greater than 0.08, driving while license suspended, operation of uninsured motor vehicle, improper lane usage and speeding. Police said failed field sobriety and breath tests after stopping his car in the 12800 block of Harlem Avenue around 4:30 a.m. for drifting between lanes and traveling 48 in a 35 mph zone.

March 31: Laura L. Graham, 48, of the 10700 block of Ridgeland Avenue in Worth was charged with DUI, driving with BAC greater than 0.08, improper lane usage and transportation of open alcohol. Police said Graham failed field sobriety and breath tests after stopping her car in the 12400 block of Harlem Avenue around 3:30 p.m. for drifting across the median lane.

March 30: David Araujo, 24, of the 2400 block of Pershing Road in Chicago was charged with DUI, driving with BAC greater than 0.08, and no valid driver’s license. Police said Araujo failed field sobriety and breath tests after stopping his car in the 12800 block of Harlem Avenue around 3 a.m. for traveling 53 in 35 mph zone.

March 29: Michael J. Downs, 58, of the 6400 block of 179th Street in Tinley Park was charged with DUI, driving with BAC greater than 0.08, and improper lane usage. Police said Downs failed field sobriety and breath tests after stopping his car in the 12400 block of Harlem Avenue around 1:30 a.m. for drifting between lanes.

March 27: Police say an off-duty Pace bus driver used a new defense tactic as he was taken into custody last week: He compared the situation to arguably the most talked about news story in America. Ronnie L. Dixon, 49, of the 9500 block of South Perry Avenue in Chicago, was arrested and charged with driving under the influence of alcohol after police found him parked in his minivan outside White Castle on 14th Street with the engine running, according to the report. Dixon was sitting in the driver's seat with his eyes shut and head down, smelling of alcohol, police said. After taking field sobriety tests, police determined him to be "impaired." After he was taken into custody Dixon became aggressive in the backseat, stating "I know lawyers and have judges in my back pocket," before spouting out racial slurs and telling police to "go back to Mexico," according to the report. "This is just like Trayvon," Dixon continued as he was taken to station. Dixon took a Breathalyzer test at the police station, registering a .109 blood-alcohol content level, according to the police report. He was also charged with having no valid insurance.

March 28: Police said Scott R. Rooney, 23, of the 8500 block of Westberry Lane in , drove his vehicle off the roadway, leaving damaged trees and mailboxes in his wake, and became combative with staff at Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where he was taken for medical treatment. Police were dispatched to the 8000 block of West 160th Street at 1:28 a.m. for a report of a one-car accident. There, they found Rooney in the driver's seat of his Mini Cooper talking on his cell phone. He had an abrasion near his eye and blood around his mouth, according to the report. "(An officer) approached Rooney and asked him several times if he was OK, but he continued with his phone call and did not answer," the report states. "(The officer) asked him for his driver's license several times and was given a receipt from the Mini Cooper dealership." He was charged with improper lane use, driving under the influence of alcohol and damaging village property. .

March 29: John W. Malloy, 28, of the 10900 block of Front Street in Mokena was charged with driving under the influence, illegal transportation of alcohol, speeding and improper lane usage after another driver reported seeing Malloy’s car swerving into oncoming traffic. Police said Malloy failed field sobriety tests but refused to take a Breathalyzer after stopping his car in the 11100 block of Front Street, around 8 p.m., for speeding. An inventory report of the car includes a bottle of Dmitri Vodka.

March 17: Police pulled over a black car after watching it speed away from a parked maroon vehicle with a damaged front end in the 8600 block of 142nd Street around 2 a.m. The black car was leaving a trail of liquid, squealed its tires while driving away and was dragging the undercarriage, causing sparks, police said. The driver’s breath smelled like alcohol, he admitted to drinking and he admitted to texting while driving, which led to the accident, according to the report. Timothy J. Fox, 24, of the 12600 block of Wisteria Court in Palos Park, was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol, failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident, failure to signal, illegal squealing of tires and failure to provide information after an accident.

April 4: Bret Choisser, 22, of the 200 block of Central Road in New Lenox, was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol, leaving the scene of a crash and driving without insurance. Police said Choisser hit another car when he was leaving Tom Kelly's Chophouse & Pub and left the scene. The driver of the other car called police, who found Choisser driving not too far away on Route 30. He was given traffic tickets.