Man Arrested Following Brief Pursuit

20-year-old Elian Raya of Joliet was arrested, processed, and transported to the Will County Adult Detention Facility for Aggravated Fleeing and Eluding a Peace Officer.  

On June 2, 2024, at 2:40 p.m., Officers attempted to conduct a traffic stop on a Nissan Sentra  near Garnsey Avenue and Elwood Avenue as part of an investigation of a homicide that occurred in the 400 block of Krakar Avenue on June 1, 2024. The driver refused to stop the vehicle and  quickly sped away from Officers. Officers pursued the vehicle southbound on Collins Street  toward East Jefferson Street and then further south towards the intersection of Fourth Avenue and South Chicago Street where the Nissan eventually headed westbound on Interstate 80.  During this time, the fleeing Nissan continued to drive in an erratic fashion at a high rate of speed.  

The suspect vehicle continued westbound on Interstate 80 to northbound Interstate 55, where it exited onto northbound Route 59 to westbound Jefferson Street in Shorewood. The fleeing vehicle turned northbound on North Brookshore Drive at which time it turned onto Deerwood  Drive where it left the roadway and drove through a residence yard. Officers pursued the vehicle to a cul-de-sac on Arrowhead Drive at which time the vehicle executed a U-turn and drove out of  the cul-de-sac by again leaving the roadway and driving through yards.  

As the vehicle approached the intersection of Deerwood Drive and Arrowhead Drive, the Nissan  struck an Officer’s squad car. The suspect vehicle then came to a rest in a nearby ditch. The driver was then placed into custody and identified as Raya. Raya was transported to the Joliet  Police Department for processing. Raya was uninjured and he received multiple citations, and  the vehicle was towed from the scene.  

No further information will be released at this time as this incident remains under active investigation by the Joliet Police Department Investigations Division. The Joliet Police Department wishes to thank our law enforcement partners for their assistance in this matter.