Illinois Valley Times

Sue Rezin expressed gratitude towards law enforcement in a post dated October 25, stating, "This recent arrest of individuals in possession of 3 kilograms of Fentanyl—enough to kill the entire population of Grundy County many times over—shows the critical work our law enforcement does every day to protect our citizens."

"Thank you to the brave men and women of the Grundy County Sheriff's Office for their swift action in keeping our community safe," said Rezin, State Senator, according to Facebook. "This recent arrest of individuals in possession of 3 kilograms of Fentanyl—enough to kill the entire population of Grundy County many times over—shows the critical work our law enforcement does every day to protect our citizens."

According to her Facebook post, Senator Rezin shared a link from the Grundy County Sheriff’s Office that included a press release and images of the seized items. The incident began with an attempted traffic stop at 3:57 p.m. on October 25. Members of the Grundy County Sheriff’s Office Pro-Active Unit tried to stop a red 2010 Infiniti with suspended registration from California. Earlier that day, the same vehicle had evaded Illinois State Police Troop 5 on Interstate 80.

Screenshot of Sen. Sue Rezin's Oct. 25 Facebook post | State Senator Sue Rezin's Facebook page

When a deputy activated their lights, the Infiniti fled, leading to a brief pursuit. Further down the road, another deputy used a tire deflation device, hitting one of the car's tires. The vehicle then drove into a harvested cornfield near Route 17 and 1700 West Road in Kankakee County. A police immobilization technique (PIT) maneuver was executed by a deputy to halt the vehicle, but its occupants fled on foot before being apprehended shortly after.

The vehicle caught fire, igniting nearby corn stalks. The Reddick Fire Protection District responded to extinguish the blaze. During a search of the vehicle, deputies discovered 3 kilograms of suspected fentanyl in its rear compartment.

Robyn Barahona faces charges including controlled substance trafficking; obstructing justice; possession with intent to deliver fentanyl exceeding 900 grams; and resisting or obstructing a peace officer. Carlos Rivera is charged with aggravated fleeing or eluding police; controlled substance trafficking; possession with intent to deliver fentanyl exceeding 900 grams; and resisting or obstructing a peace officer.

Rezin has served as State Senator since December 2010 for the 38th Senate District and was appointed Deputy Minority Leader of the Senate Republican Caucus in 2021. In collaboration with local employers in 2015, she helped establish an Operations Engineering and Technician technical program at Joliet Junior College. She holds degrees in International Business and Political Science from Augustana College and co-manages her family’s real estate business.