Joliet man gets 18 years after running over wife twice in Oakwood Hills
Pablo Contreras pleaded guilty to attempted first-degree murder for driving his 2020 Volkswagen Jetta over his injured spouse on May 22.
By Anthony Foster ·
A Joliet-area man will spend the next 18 years in prison after a McHenry County judge sentenced him for running over his wife twice during a dispute over her inheritance.
Pablo Contreras, 51, of Oakwood Hills, pleaded guilty to attempted first-degree murder. Judge Mark Gerhardt signed the sentencing order on Tuesday, November 3, 2026.
The incident occurred on May 22, 2026. Prosecutors stated that Contreras and his wife argued about the disclosure of her inheritance. Contreras entered his 2020 Volkswagen Jetta while his wife stood near the rear of the vehicle. He accelerated in reverse, striking her and knocking her to the ground.
State’s Attorney Randi Freese said Contreras deliberately struck, dragged, and ran over his wife. Prosecutors reported that despite her screams for him to stop, Contreras reversed the car again. This action dragged her beneath the vehicle and into the roadway.
After the second impact, Contreras shifted the car into drive and ran over his wife a third time before fleeing the scene. He left her lying in the street. Her injuries included a broken clavicle, broken elbow, fractured sternum, multiple broken ribs, a shattered pelvis, and a fractured sacrum. She was intubated upon arrival at the hospital while awaiting surgery.
Contreras is required to serve at least 85% of his sentence. He will then serve three years of mandatory supervised release. The court order grants him 196 days of credit for time already spent in the McHenry County jail.
Freese commended the Oakwood Hills Police Department and the McHenry County Sheriff’s Office for their investigation. Assistant State’s Attorney William Bruce prosecuted the case. Contreras was denied pretrial release during his initial court appearance.
