06 July 2014 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Chief Tom Weitzel tweitzel@riverside.il.us 708.447.2127 - Follow RPD on Twitter @pdriverside


Riverside Police Release Stats from Holiday Weekend Enforcement and Activity
Police responded to 191 calls for service including 15 physical arrests, 5 DUIs and
3 warrant arrests

Riverside Police Chief Thomas Weitzel released stats today from some of the major incidents that took
place over the Fourth of July weekend. Most, if not all of these incidents were related in one way or
another to alcohol including police responses that did not require an arrest.
From July 3 through July 6, the Riverside Police Department responded to 191 calls for police service.
They made 15 physical arrests, 5 DUI arrests, 6 other traffic arrests including suspended revoked driver's
licenses, 3 warrant arrests including an escape warrant and handled a DUI arrest where the individual was
drinking "buzz ballz" as he drove past an officer.
Domestic Batter Involving Children
On July 4, at 4:32 p.m., the Riverside Police Department received numerous 911 calls of a disturbance in
front of the Riverside Brookfield High School. When officers responded, they found a male laying on the
sidewalk that was injured, a small child also laying on the sidewalk injured and another separate child
laying on the grass who was also injured. It was learned through investigation that the male victim had
gotten into an argument with his girlfriend as they exited the zoo at which time she parked her car in the
middle of the intersection at Ridgewood and Golf and threw her boyfriend out of the vehicle. As she did
this, she slammed the door on one of his children's hands injuring the child. The male offender then
grabbed the keys from the car so that she could not drive with the children in the car. She then exited the
vehicle and chased him down in front of Riverside Brookfield High School on Ridgewood Road. A
struggle ensued and she shoved the male to the ground injuring his shoulder. Additionally, the male
victim was holding a small child in his arms and the battery caused him to drop the child to the cement
concrete sidewalk in front of the high school. The female then retrieved her keys, got in her vehicle and
fled to Bolingbrook.
EWS RELEASE
RIVERSIDE POLICE DEPARTMENT
31 Riverside Road, Riverside, IL 60546
The male adult victim and the two children were transported to Loyola Hospital for non-life threatening
injuries.
Riverside Police immediately began a search for the suspect and on Saturday, July 5, they were able to
take the suspect into custody at her place of employment in Bolingbrook, Illinois.
Offender, Dashanna J. McCullum, 34 of the 200 block of Dakota Court in Bolingbrook was charged
with two counts of domestic battery and one count of endangering the life of a child.
DUI/Buzz Ballz
On Sunday, July 6, 2014 at 2:55 a.m., Riverside Police stopped a car at Harlem and Robinson Court that
was driving without headlights. When the officer approached the vehicle to speak with the driver, he could
detect a strong smell or odor of alcoholic beverage coming from the mouth of the driver, his eyes were
glassy and bloodshot. The officer also observed a plastic cup filled with a liquid that was later identified as
tequila. There was also a green round shaped can that was later identified as "buzz ballz tequila rita" in
plain sight. The driver stated he was drinking the buzz ballz before the officer stopped him. The driver
failed all field sobriety tests and blew a .157 on the portable breath tester on the street. The driver was
taken into custody.
James H. Beckwood, 39 of 600 block of South Kostner Avenue in Chicago was charged with
driving without headlights, failure to signal when required, improper lane usage, illegal
transportation of open alcohol, driving while license suspended, and two counts of driving under
the influence.
Warrant Arrest at Station
On Sunday, July 6, 2014 at 3:36 p.m., an individual came into the Riverside Police lobby inquiring about
retrieving his friend's vehicle which had been towed from a previous arrest on Friday night. Checking the
identity of the individual it was found that he had no valid driver's license to pick up the vehicle and also
had a $50,000.00 warrant issued for his arrest by the Cook County Sheriff's Police. The warrant was for
battery. Taken into custody and arrested on the outstanding warrant was Alvaro Talavera , 31 of
the 5100 block of South Damen Avenue in Chicago. He was arrested and turned over to Cook
County Sheriff's Police on the warrant.
Several warrant arrests and alcohol citations
Also on Sunday, July 6, 2014 at 10:55 p.m., a Riverside Police Officer on patrol observed a red Subaru
with a male subject (passenger) drinking beer traveling south on Harlem and Ogden Avenue. The vehicle
drove directly by the officer, who was in a fully marked vehicle. The officer stopped the vehicle at Harlem
and 39th to investigate. Upon speaking with the passenger, he still had in hand a 24-ounce bottle of
Corona beer between his legs and he admitted to the officer that he was drinking it while being a
passenger. He initially told the officer he was from Texas and was not from Illinois and had a Texas
driver's license. But this was not true.
There were several other passengers in the car who all appeared to be under the influence of alcohol.
The driver of the vehicle had a valid driver's license but a name check revealed she had an active DUI
warrant issued by the Cook County Sheriff's Police. Malissa A. Medina, 40 of the 8800 block of North
Root Street in Niles was arrested by Riverside Police on the outstanding warrant.
The front seat passenger, was taken into the station to make positive identification. This was the subject
that was drinking a beer when he drove directly by the officer. The rear seat passenger was also
intoxicated and was in possession of an open bottle of Hennessey alcohol. This individual, Yvette M.
Romero, 34 of the 1700 block of North Keeler Avenue in Chicago was issued a citation for illegal
transportation possession of open alcohol.
Once in the station with the individual that had no identification, a finger inquiry was conducted and was
found to have two outstanding warrants. Both warrants were issued by the Cook County Sheriff's Police;
the first warrant was for escape. This was a no bond warrant. The second warrant was for manufacture
and delivery of cannabis. This individual's true identity was Victor Visinaiz, 37 of the 2300 block of
South Christiana in Chicago. This subject was arrested on the two outstanding warrants and
turned over to the Cook County Sheriff's Police. The escape warrant was issued due to the
subject violating his terms of electronic
Riverside Police Chief Thomas Weitzel stated, It was an extremely busy weekend for police
personnel and we ran across an incident where an individual was drinking buzz ballz as he
drove past an officer. In the second case, we had an individual lie about his identity and once
his fingerprints cleared, we found out he was wanted on two serious felony warrants. This
demonstrates that police personnel must positively identify all arrestees before they are
bonded out as this subject originally gave false information from an old Texas driver's license.




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