Judge denies pre-trial release for teen charged in fatal Downers Grove crash
A DuPage County judge ordered on June 10 that an Oak Brook teenager accused of causing a crash resulting in two deaths will be denied pre-trial release, following the presentation of new evidence in court. Judge Ann Celine O’Hallaren Walsh made the decision regarding Francesco Rendina, 18, who is charged with two counts of reckless homicide related to a March 27 collision that killed Ried Jacobsen, 72, and his wife Katherine Jacobsen, 67.
Rendina was initially granted pre-trial release after his May 11 court appearance. However, State’s Attorney Robert Berlin’s office filed a motion to reconsider on May 21. During the hearing this afternoon, Judge O’Hallaren Walsh referenced Rendina's recent history of traffic violations and court supervision prior to the incident. She said that “he did not comply with the court order just days before the violent crash,” and that he “clearly did not think twice about the laws of the road which are designed to protect drivers.”
Authorities allege that on March 27 at approximately 6:53 p.m., Rendina was driving a BMW SUV at high speed southbound on Highland Avenue when he collided with Jacobsen’s vehicle as it turned onto Highland Avenue from 35th Street. Investigators claim Rendina was traveling at about 104 mph five seconds before impact and struck Jacobsen’s car at around 89 mph in a zone posted for 40 mph. Ried Jacobsen died at the scene; Katherine Jacobsen died later at a hospital from her injuries.
“I thank Judge O’Hallaren Walsh for agreeing with our position that this defendant poses a real and present threat to the residents of DuPage County, and I thank her for her careful consideration of the new evidence presented in court today,” Berlin said. “I also thank Assistant State’s Attorneys Alyssa Rabulinski and Michael Joyce for their outstanding preparation and compelling arguments presented in court today that resulted in pre-trial detention of a defendant whose alleged disregard for public safety and reckless behavior resulted in the death of Ried and Katherine Jacobsen.”
Rendina is scheduled to appear again before Judge O’Hallaren Walsh on June 30.
Members of the public are reminded by officials that these charges are allegations only; all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt.
The average student-to-teacher ratio across DuPage County schools was reported as thirteen-to-one during the most recent school year; teacher absenteeism rates stood at over thirty-eight percent countywide compared to state averages, according to the Illinois State Board of Education.