2 charged after stolen Jeep strikes brick mailbox in Bartlett and overturns

Two Chicago men have been charged following Monday’s collision of a stolen 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee, in which they were traveling, with a brick mailbox in Bartlett.

Vicente Castro, 23, was charged on Tuesday with possession of a stolen motor vehicle, aggravated driving under the influence, reckless driving, a separate count of driving under the influence, leaving the scene of a property damage accident and improper use of registration.

Castro also received multiple traffic citations.

Andres Zarate, 27, was charged with possession of a stolen motor vehicle and also received multiple citations.

About 6:20 a.m. Monday, Bartlett police officers responded to a call of a single-vehicle crash that caused significant property damage on the 1500 block of Southgate Road.

They found the Jeep Grand Cherokee overturned on the front lawn of a home. The impact with the brick mailbox caused debris to strike and damage a 2014 Honda Civic parked nearby.

The occupants of the Jeep Grand Cherokee, later confirmed to have been stolen from Chicago, already had fled.

Witness statements and a search of the area led officers to locate Castro and Zarate at the intersection of Route 59 and Army Trail Road and identify them as the occupants of the crashed vehicle.

Following an investigation, Barlett police alleged Castro was driving the stolen Jeep, displaying a license plate not registered to it, at high speed while under the influence of alcohol. The investigation determined Castro, who had an outstanding warrant in Cook County, had lost control of the Jeep and collided with the mailbox.

Castro was transported to the Cook County court facility in relation to his outstanding warrant. Both he and Zarate are scheduled to appear May 7 at the DuPage County court facility in Wheaton.