A 20-year-old Berwyn man will stay behind bars while his case moves through DuPage County court after prosecutors say he led police on a chase that topped 93 mph in a Dodge Charger reported stolen out of Elgin. Antonio Hernandez, who lives on the 3200 block of Clarence Avenue, was taken into custody following a brief foot chase near the 17th Street ramp off Interstate 290 early Friday morning, and a judge has since ordered him detained ahead of trial.
Judge Anthony Coco approved the state’s motion to deny Hernandez pre-trial release, according to Shaw Local. He faces one count each of possession of a stolen motor vehicle, a Class 2 felony, and aggravated fleeing and eluding a police officer, a Class 4 felony. Hernandez’s next court date is set for Nov. 16.
Chase Began in Hanover Park Before Dawn
The pursuit started around 4:10 a.m. Friday, when a Hanover Park police officer spotted a gray Dodge Charger and an Infiniti SUV traveling eastbound on Lake Street at a high rate of speed, per the same account from Shaw Local. The Charger had allegedly been reported stolen out of Elgin at roughly 4 a.m. that same morning. From there, authorities say Hernandez drove the Charger onto eastbound Interstate 390, where he reached approximately 93 mph as officers tried to catch up.
Elmhurst officers later spotted the Charger at the I-290/294 split, and Oak Brook police deployed spike strips that deflated three of the car’s tires. The Charger continued onto the 17th Street ramp off I-290 before Hernandez exited and fled on foot. Police arrested him after a brief foot pursuit near the ramp at about 4:25 a.m., the station’s report notes.
Key-Fob Equipment Found in Both Vehicles
Officers searching the disabled Charger found a cord and a vehicle and key-fob re-programmer inside, according to the report. After obtaining a search warrant for the Infiniti SUV, which was later determined to belong to Hernandez, investigators allegedly found multiple blank key fobs for re-programming, a screwdriver in the back seat and a knife equipped with a window punch.
Court Weighs Flight Risk and Public Safety
DuPage County’s detention process requires a defendant charged with a serious criminal offense to appear before a judge in First Appearance Court for a hearing within 24 hours of arrest, according to the DuPage County State’s Attorney’s Office. If a judge orders detention, as happened in Hernandez’s case, the law requires written findings addressing the threat to public safety or risk of willful flight, and an explanation for why less restrictive conditions would not work. The office also reiterated that Hernandez, like any defendant, is presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, with the government carrying the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
The case echoes another DuPage County pursuit from last year, when three young people — Xavier Carrasco, Matthew Perez and Mariano Martinez — were ordered detained after allegedly stealing a high-end SUV and leading police on a chase that reportedly hit about 130 mph on I-88, according to the Daily Herald. Carrasco and Martinez each faced charges that included aggravated possession of a stolen motor vehicle, theft over $10,000, burglary and aggravated fleeing and eluding.
Part of a Broader, Shrinking Problem
Hernandez’s arrest comes even as vehicle theft has been falling nationally. The National Insurance Crime Bureau reported that vehicle thefts across the United States dropped 23% in 2025 compared with 2024, hitting their lowest levels in several decades, with 659,880 vehicles reported stolen nationwide. Even so, the bureau noted that a vehicle is still stolen somewhere in the country every 48 seconds, and it credited coordinated prevention efforts among law enforcement, automakers and insurers for the decline. Illinois remained among the five states with the highest total number of vehicle thefts in 2025, trailing only California and Texas.
