Crime & Safety

Plainfield Man Guilty in Road Rage DUI Death

Michael Moreno, 32, was convicted Wednesday of aggravated DUI in the death of motorcyclist Gerald Puglise of Lombard.

A Plainfield man faces up to 29 years in prison after a DuPage County judge ruled he was under the influence of cocaine and marijuana when he fatally struck a motorcyclist in Naperville last June.

Michael Moreno, 32, of the 11000 block of Presley Circle in Plainfield was found guilty Wednesday in the death of 63-year-old Gerald Puglise of Lombard.

Just prior to the June 13, 2012 crash, Moreno was involved in what prosecutors called a road rage incident, chasing a Honda driven by a 16-year-old Naperville girl as he drove west on Ogden Avenue.

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Moreno then turned left on River Road against oncoming traffic, striking Puglise’s motorcycle. Puglise died at the scene of the crash, police said.

Moreno fled the scene of the crash, but was apprehended by Naperville police a short time later. He was taken to an area hospital for minor injuries and tested positive for cocaine and marijuana.

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The teen’s vehicle was not involved in the accident, police said.

Read: Plainfield Man Charged in Fatal Motorcycle Accident

Judge George Bakalis presided over Moreno’s four-day bench trial, finding him guilty of two counts of aggravated driving under the influence of drugs, one count of leaving the scene of an accident involving a death and one count of disorderly conduct.

“This heartbreaking case was one hundred percent avoidable,” DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin said in a press release issued Wednesday. “Mr. Moreno should never have been behind the wheel of a car that afternoon. Because of his reckless actions, Gerald Puglise is no longer with his family and friends. Our thoughts and prayers go out to them. While nothing can be done to bring Mr. Puglise back to those who loved him, perhaps today’s guilty verdict will provide some measure of solace to those he left behind.”

Moreno is scheduled to appear in court April 22 for a pre-sentencing hearing.

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