Montgomery Woman, Four Others Charged in Kane County "No Refusal" Operation

One Montgomery resident was among five charged with drunken driving as a result of Kane County’s Super Bowl Sunday “No Refusal” operation, according to the Kane County State’s Attorney’s office.

Erica J. Gonzalez, 39, of the 1100 block of Lincoln Avenue in Montgomery, was charged with two counts of driving under the influence, one count of driving without a license, and several other offenses, officials from the state’s attorney’s office said.

The No Refusal operation spanned 11 Fox River communities: Montgomery, Aurora, Batavia, Geneva, St. Charles, Gilberts, Elgin, South Elgin, Carpentersville, East Dundee and West Dundee. Police departments in these communities worked with the Illinois State Police and the Kane County Sheriff’s Department, along with the State’s Attorney’s office.

The operation ran from 8 p.m. until midnight. During a no refusal period, judges and prosecutors from the state's attorney's office are on standby, ready to draft and serve warrants to force drivers to take a breathalyzer test, or give a blood sample.

The idea, according to Kane County State’s Attorney Joe McMahon, is to thwart drunken driving suspects trying to evade prosecution by refusing the tests. While refusing the test is illegal, it can sometimes be to a repeat offender’s advantage, McMahon said. A second DUI conviction comes with a five-year revocation of driving privileges, while the penalty for refusing a breathalyzer test is three years’ suspension.

However, refusing to take the test after a warrant is issued could lead to a contempt of court charge.

An illegal blood alcohol content for drivers is one over .08. Officials from the state’s attorney’s office said that the BAC numbers from those charged ranged from .110 to .233.

The others charged were:

Gerardo N. Gomez, 45, of the 800 block of Columbia Avenue in Aurora, charged with two counts of drunken driving and other offenses.

Ambrocio Gomez-Carrera, 36, of the 100 block of Michael Lane in Addison, charged with two counts of drunken driving, one count of driving without a license, and other offenses.

Jose L. Sanchez-Hernandez, 32, of the 700 block of North Avenue in Aurora, charged with two counts of drunken driving and other offenses.

Lynda S. Johnson, 49, of the 1100 block of Lewis Road in Geneva, charged with two counts of drunken driving and other offenses.

“Five DUIs is five too many,” said McMahon, “but we are pleased that we were able to get BAC samples from all of those charged, and we appreciate the participation of the 13 police agencies.”

McMahon has already announced another No Refusal operation for St. Patrick’s Day, on Saturday, March 17.