Crime & Safety

After Death of Niles Woman, 18-Year-Old Charged With Aggravated DUI

The 18-year-old tested positive for a chemical found in marijuana, police said; he also had 27 grams. An 18-year-old Niles woman with him also got a drug charge.

The driver whose vehicle struck and killed a 65-year-old Niles woman Jan. 17 as she was walking in unincorporated Glenview has been charged with aggravated driving under the influence causing death, Cook County Sheriff Thomas Dart announced Saturday.

Dustin Aranda, 18, of unincorporated Des Plaines, was driving a beige 2002 Chevrolet when he struck Janina Kasperek, of Niles, in the 300 block of Greenwood Avenue around 11:20 a.m. Friday, Jan. 17, according to a press release from the sheriff. Kasperek was found in a drainage ditch on the west side of the road, and was pronounced dead at the hospital.

Aranda and his passenger, Jocelyn Maldonado Verdin, 18, of Niles, were found with their vehicle in a drainage ditch on the east side of the road, according to the sheriff. Both declined medical attention.

Following the crash, Aranda tested positive for TCH (a compound found in marijuana) and benzodiazepine (a psychoactive drug), the sheriff said. Sheriff's police also found a sealed bag containing 27 grams of marijuana. 

In addition to aggravated driving under the influence causing death, Aranda was also charged with possession of cannabis with intent to deliver. Verdin, too, was charged with possession of cannabis with intent to deliver, according to the sheriff. 



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