Hundreds of times a day, police all around the state of Illinois detain arrestees for criminal and traffic cases ranging from speeding tickets to DUI to retail theft offenses. It's obviously important for police to determine with certainty whom they have in custody. Sometimes, the arrestee will give another person’s name, birth date, and personal information. In an attempt to avoid further prosecution, they'll post a bond promising to come to court on a future date and then (of course) never appear.
What happens next?
The real person whose name was given will be issued a warrant for their arrest when no one shows up. That person may later get arrested for a crime that they know nothing about and spend thousands of dollars trying to clear their name from this identity theft.
When police have a detainee in custody, they do everything possible to figure out the person’s true identity. In addition to checking whatever physical identification is in that person’s possession, they may check vehicle registration, receipts, and any other available information. But, a fingerprint is usually the best way to get the true answer. If the person has been previously arrested, their fingerprint data will be on file and the police can easily ascertain the answer.
Recently, a Riverside man was arrested for felony aggravated driving while license revoked, driving with registration suspended, and driving with no insurance. Although he handed police an ID with the name Jose O. Tregilio, they later determined from his fingerprints that his real name was Jose O. Trujillo (and that he had three separate driver’s licenses). They also found that he had multiple outstanding warrants for his arrest in Lake County and several DUI convictions in his past. The defendant then actually congratulated the police officer for figuring out his true identity.
If you have been charged with a criminal or traffic offense, or have been the victim of ID theft, contact Mitchell S. Sexner & Associates LLC immediately to learn how your rights can be best protected. Our 24 hour phone line is (312) 644-0444.
Source: http://chicago.suntimes.com/news/7/71/1158684/man-evaded-police-decade-arrested-riverside-traffic-stop
