Villa Park hearing upholds many red‑light citations; one driver asks for mitigation after ambulance sighting

The Village of Villa Park held a red‑light camera hearing on June 18, 2026, where officials reviewed video evidence for dozens of citations issued at the 83rd Street and Riverside intersection near Walmart. The presiding moderator reviewed footage, called cases, and recorded rulings that ranged from ‘liable’ findings to not‑liable determinations where the vehicle in the video did not match registration records.

Lenard Cozzulo, who identified himself during the first case, acknowledged guilt but asked for mitigation, saying he moved into the intersection for about “one second” because an ambulance was approaching and he was unsure whether the vehicle would turn into his lane. “I was in there 1 second,” Cozzulo said, arguing the ambulance’s presence and nearby congestion led him to proceed to clear the intersection. The moderator responded that the video shows the vehicle ran the red. Court staff then directed payment options after the liability determination.

Staff and the moderator spent much of the session verifying license plates and vehicle makes. In several cases staff found the plate on the citation did not match the vehicle visible in the footage or registration records. For example, staff identified at least one instance where the footage showed a white pickup but the plate returned a different make/model or business registration; in those instances the moderator ruled the cited person not liable. In another case the panel identified a clearly marked Terminix truck and determined the registration and image matched; that case was found liable to the company address on file.

The hearing also included repeated requests by staff to run out-of-state plates and to recheck registration details when the video image was unclear. Several defendants told staff they did not own the vehicle recorded; staff noted some plates corresponded to rental companies (Enterprise) or commercial fleets, which prompted follow‑up plate runs.

The moderator concluded the red‑light hearing after the final cases and recessed the meeting until 4:30 p.m. for scheduled code‑violation matters.

Why it matters: Municipal red‑light hearings determine whether automated camera citations are upheld and whether the registered owner is responsible; mismatches between plate data and vehicle imagery repeatedly led to not‑liable rulings in this session, while clear vehicle identification produced liable findings. The outcome affects who pays fines and whether the recorded owner is pursued for enforcement.