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Sheriff Stovall, visibly moved, spoke about his personal connection to the victim. “One of the lives was someone I knew well, Darcy Connolly-Brunner,” he said at a news conference. “Darcy was more than just a member of the community, she was a friend. She was a kind and giving person who cared deeply for her family and friends.”
Investigators have identified Ico-Choc as a Guatemalan national who was in the United States illegally. Sheriff Stovall said no permanent address could be found for him, though it’s believed he once lived in Freeport. He also revealed that evidence from the scene suggests alcohol may have played a role in the deadly crash.
While toxicology results are still pending, Stovall stressed that he was confident Brunner was sober when the crash occurred. “She was not under the influence,” he said, adding that it could take several weeks for lab results to be finalized.
The suspect’s background paints a troubling picture. Records show Ico-Choc had been arrested multiple times over the last few years — including for drunk driving on more than one occasion. In March 2022, he was charged with DUI, driving without a license, and illegal transportation of alcohol. He pleaded guilty to misdemeanor DUI and was placed on court supervision.
Shockingly, in February 2023 — while still under that supervision — he was arrested again for DUI. He pleaded guilty and spent just 80 days in jail. A few months later, in June 2023, he pleaded guilty to domestic battery and served only six days behind bars.
Despite this string of offenses, Ico-Choc was never removed from the country. Illinois’ pro-illegal immigration laws, such as the 2017 TRUST Act, limit cooperation between local law enforcement and federal immigration officials unless there is a judicial warrant. Critics say these policies kept him on the streets.
State Senator Andrew Chesney, who represents the district where the crash occurred, pulled no punches. “A woman who dedicated her life to her family and her community was killed in broad daylight by a man who never should have been in this country or on the road,” Chesney said. “His criminal record includes prior charges of DUI, aggravated (felony) DUI, and battery.”
He added, “Additionally, it was confirmed by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security that he was in this country illegally, having crossed the border a few years ago during the Biden administration. Yet, thanks to Illinois’ TRUST Act and the SAFE-T Act, he remained in this country and was free to get back behind the wheel of a car and kill an innocent woman. It’s unacceptable, and I am sickened by it.”
State Representative John Cabello echoed that outrage, saying Illinois lawmakers have created a climate where dangerous individuals are shielded from accountability.
Now, a family is left shattered. Darcy Connolly-Brunner’s daughter Sophie made history in Freeport as a basketball standout at Aquin High School before earning All-Pac-12 honors at Arizona State University and playing professionally for the Phoenix Mercury in 2017.
This tragedy is more than a statistic — it is a painful reminder of the real human cost of open-border policies and sanctuary-style laws.
