Drunk driver arrested in Riverside had warrants in 3 states

A 41-year-old woman from Minnesota was arrested for drunk driving Monday in west suburban Riverside, where officers discovered she had active warrants from three other states.

Tasha Lynn Schleicher, of New Hope, Minnesota, was charged with drunk driving, driving with a revoked license, driving without insurance and transporting open alcohol, Riverside police said.

About 9:30 p.m., Schleicher was found passed out behind the wheel of her car at the Amstar gas station at 3346 S. Harlem Ave., police said. Officers arrived and found her highly intoxicated, sitting beside an open bottle of liquor. After she refused to take a sobriety test, officers arrested her.

Schleicher had three outstanding warrants from other states, police said. She had a warrant in Nebraska for violation of a court order, and separate warrants in Idaho and Oregon for failing to appear for drunk driving charges.

Riverside police said Schleicher could not explain why she was in Illinois. She insisted she was with her 11 children, but police confirmed with Minnesota Child Protective Services that her children had been taken away from her after a prior DUI arrest in October last year.

Schleicher’s car was seized by officers under Illinois law for DUI seizures, police said. Riverside Police Chief Tom Weitzel called Cook County States Attorney’s Office to relay that she should be held in custody, and that she needs immediate social service and medical intervention for severe alcohol abuse.

Schleicher has 11 prior arrests in multiple states for driving under the influence, police said.