Second Grade Teacher Arrested for DUI at Almost DOUBLE the Legal Limit

On January 28, 2024 at approximately 5:18 PM, Officer Cordova with the Lake Forest Police Department observed a 2023 Acura MDX driving erratically while headed westbound in W Deerpath Road near the intersection with Golf Lane. He began following the car and he observed the driver swerving between lanes. Officer Cordova continued following the vehicle and initiated a traffic stop on Route 41 southbound just north of Route 60.

He made contact with a female, who was identified as Becki. As she was speaking with Becki, he advised her that she was being stopped for swerving between lanes. Becki continued to insist that she was not speeding, but Officer Cordova reminded her multiple times that he was not stopping her for speeding. Officer Chernikovich arrive on scene to assist shortly afterwards, and they eventually persuaded her to exit the vehicle and perform field sobriety exercises. While Becki initially denied consuming alcohol earlier that evening, she eventually admitted to consuming 1 glass of wine at a friend’s house in Lake Bluff.

The first field sobriety exercise was the Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus (HGN) test. During the HGN test, Officer Cordova observed the lack of smooth pursuit and distinct and sustained nystagmus at maximum deviation, but she did not observe the onset of nystagmus prior to 45 degrees. He did not observe vertical nystagmus. The second exercise was the Walk and Turn test. During the Walk and Turn test, Becki did not keep her arms at her sides, turned improperly, and took an incorrect number of steps. The final exercise was the One Leg Stand test. During the One Leg Stand test, Becki failed to raise her foot in the proper fashion, did not count in the correct sequence, and displayed a lack of balance.

Following the field sobriety exercises, Officer Chernikovich offered Becki an opportunity to take a Preliminary Breath Test (PBT), but she refused. Based on her erratic driving, her admission to consuming alcohol, and her inability to adequately perform the field sobriety exercises, Officer Cordova placed Becki under arrest for driving under the influence. After she was handcuffed, Becki was placed in the patrol car and her vehicle was towed.

Becki was transported to the Lake Forest Police Department for further processing. At the station, Becki agreed to submit breath samples for testing after initially hesitating. Since their breathalyzer machine was not in service, she had to be transported to the neighboring Lake Bluff Police Department. After a 20-minute observation period was complete at the Lake Bluff Police Department, Becki submitted to the breath test. Her breath test results indicated a BAC of 0.141%, which was almost double the legal limit of 0.08%.

Following the breathalyzer, Becki was transported back to the Lake Forest Police Department for further processing. After the paperwork was completed and Becki was photographed and fingerprinted, she was released to her husband pending her court appearance at the Lake County Courthouse on February 23, 2024. Becki was cited for driving under the influence of alcohol (625 ILCS 5/11-501(a)(1)), driving under the influence of alcohol (625 ILCS 5/11-501(a)(1)), and improper lane usage (625 ILCS 5/11-709(a)).

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