Former 1st Ward Ald. Proco “Joe” Moreno was charged with several misdemeanors Monday — including driving under the influence — after he allegedly crashed into several vehicles in the Gold Coast Sunday night.
Moreno, 48, was charged with two counts of driving under the influence, one count of reckless driving and five counts of failing to report damage to an unattended vehicle, according to Chicago police.
Moreno crashed a vehicle into several others before hitting a tree in the 1200 block of North Astor Street about 9:20 p.m. Sunday, according to police. After the crash, Moreno was taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital in good condition.
While no one was hurt in the incident, among the cars damaged in the incident was Andrew Schneidwind’s Honda Pilot.
“I’m very surprised he made it as far as he did destroying cars along the way,” Schneidwind told ABC7. “It’s shocking that he made it all the way and he’s messing up cars in such a big way for such a long distance. It’s insane.”
Moreno could not be reached for comment.
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Monday marked the second time in as many years that criminal charges were brought against the former alderman.
In May 2019 — three months after he lost his reelection bid — Moreno was charged with insurance fraud, disorderly conduct, obstruction of justice and filing a false police report.
Those charges stemmed from a report Moreno filed four months before in which he claimed his car was stolen from his Wicker Park home.
In January 2019, Moreno loaned the car to Liliya Hrabar — who he was dating at the time — the night before he reported the car stolen, according to Cook County prosecutors.
Hrabar was arrested after police pulled her over in Moreno’s car, and she was charged with criminal trespass to a vehicle, a misdemeanor, though that charge was dropped.
Records show Moreno’s fraud case is still pending, with the next court date set for Jan. 19, 2021.
