Illinois Husband Sentenced to 18 Years After Repeatedly Running Over Wife During Fight Over Her Inheritance

A 51-year-old Illinois man has been sentenced to 18 years in prison after pleading guilty to attempting to murder his own wife by repeatedly running her over with a Volkswagen Jetta during a violent argument outside their home. Pablo Contreras was sentenced on November 3, 2026, following an attack that left his wife with multiple devastating injuries. According to prosecutors, the confrontation began on May 22, 2026, outside the couple’s home in Oakwood Hills, Illinois. What started as an argument quickly escalated into a horrifying act of violence that nearly cost the woman her life.

Investigators said the couple had been arguing over the disclosure of the wife’s inheritance. During the dispute, Contreras got into his 2020 Volkswagen Jetta while his wife was standing near the vehicle. He then shifted into reverse and deliberately accelerated toward her, knocking her to the ground. But even as his wife screamed for him to stop, prosecutors said Contreras continued backing up, running over her a second time and dragging her beneath the car along the roadway.

The attack became even more brutal when Contreras shifted the vehicle into drive and ran over his wife again before fleeing the scene. He allegedly left her severely injured in the street rather than stopping to help. The woman suffered a broken clavicle, a broken elbow, a fractured sternum, multiple broken ribs, a shattered pelvis and a fractured sacrum. Her injuries were so extensive that she required emergency medical treatment, but she survived the attack.

According to prosecutors, Contreras later returned to the scene after his wife had been taken to the hospital, but he did not report the collision. Police detained him there, and he initially denied striking his wife with the vehicle. He later changed his account, claiming that he had not intended to hit her. Investigators, however, built a case that resulted in five felony charges and one misdemeanor. Under a plea agreement, all charges except attempted first-degree murder were dismissed.

On November 3, McHenry County Judge Mark Gerhardt sentenced Contreras to 18 years in prison after he pleaded guilty to attempted first-degree murder. His prison term will be followed by three years of mandatory supervised release. Under Illinois law, he must serve at least 85 percent of the sentence before becoming eligible for release, meaning he is expected to spend at least 15 years behind bars.

McHenry County State’s Attorney Randi Freese condemned the attack, emphasizing that Contreras ignored his wife’s desperate screams and left her helpless in the street. The case has also highlighted the devastating consequences of domestic violence, particularly when an argument over family finances turns into a life-threatening assault. Although the woman survived, the physical injuries and trauma from that day will remain part of her life long after her husband begins serving his sentence.