Woman, 27, charged with homicide after crash that killed Aurora man

AURORA, Ill. (WLS) -- A 27-year-old Streator woman faces reckless homicide and drunken driving charges after a vehicle crash in suburban Aurora that killed her male passenger, officials said.

Stephanie Figueroa was driving a 1996 Volkswagen Jetta at about 2 a.m. Feb. 7 when she apparently lost control and went off the roadway and hit a residence in the 500 block of North Farnsworth Avenue in Aurora, police said..

After the crash, she was charged with only drunken driving pending an investigation. On Monday, officials said her charges were upgraded to reckless homicide and two counts of aggravated drunken driving.

Figueroa's passenger, a 33-year-old Obed Cruz-Hernandez, was ejected from the vehicle. He was pronounced dead at a hospital shortly afterward.

Two Aurora police officers witnessed the crash and said that Figueroa allegedly crawled out of one of the windows and attempted to run, but was taken into custody without incident.