Berwyn man charged with DUI, hit-and-run following drive through downtown Riverside

RIVERSIDE – A Berwyn man charged Nov. 17 with driving under the influence of alcohol after reportedly crashing into a building on Harlem Avenue in Berwyn faced hit-and-run charges after Riverside Police discovered he was the driver of a vehicle that drove onto sidewalks in downtown Riverside before crashing into a restaurant's awning support poles.

Javier I. Manzanero, 37, of the 1200 block of Cuyler Avenue, Berwyn, also was charged by Riverside police with driving in the wrong lane, driving on the sidewalk, damage to property and improper operation of a motor vehicle, according to Riverside Police news release.

Manzanero told police that he was returning home from a bar in Lyons when the hit and run occurred in Riverside, the release stated.

At 1:54 a.m., a driver of a 2016 Jeep Wrangler reportedly drove in the wrong lane on Bloomingbank Road, a one-way street in front of the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad Station, 90 Bloomingbank Road.

He then drove onto the sidewalk, traveled through a planting bed and struck a tree, knocking it down. He got stuck and started to rock the car back and forth until he was able to free it.

He continued driving toward the railroad tracks and crossed northbound on Longcommon Road, driving on the sidewalk in front of Riverside Plumbing before crossing East Burlington Street. He then drove in front of LaBarra Restaurant, 2 East Burlington St., and struck the support poles for the awning outside dining area, according to the report.

He continued on Longcommon Road to Herrick Road and proceeded east on Herrick Road before crashing into a building at 3225 S. Harlem Ave. in Berwyn.

Berwyn police responded to the crash and charged Manzanero with driving under the influence of alcohol. Riverside police did not know that the hit-and-run damage had occurred as nothing was reported.

Several hours later, at 12:08 p.m., Riverside police received a report of damage to LaBarra Restaurant. Police reviewed the video recording from the street camera program, which included footage of the car driving off the road and causing the damage. Police also obtained a license plate, which led them to Manzanero, the release stated.

Police later learned that Manzanero was the same individual who crashed into the building in Berwyn. Riverside police went to Manzanero last known address, where he was arrested and charged, according to the report.

“Officers obtained the license plate number of the offending vehicle directly from the camera system recently installed on some area streets in Riverside,” said Riverside Police Chief Thomas Weitzel. “Without this equipment, an arrest in this case would not have been possible. Something troubling also in the video is that there were pedestrians on the crosswalks on the opposite side of the street, and motorists who passed Javier Manzanero as he was driving on the sidewalk and hit the tree–and no one called 911 to report it.”