Two Chicago
residents were arrested Saturday on multiple charges following a disturbance
at a crash scene in Westchester Township, the Porter County Sheriff’s Police
said.
According to
police, at 4:07 p.m. officers were dispatched to the intersection of U.S.
Highway 12 and Tremont Road, where Nestor Melquides, 22, had unsuccessfully
attempted a U-turn and collided with a second vehicle. An officer had just
finished issuing Melquides a citation for operating without ever obtaining a
driver’s license when he heard Melquides “yelling and arguing” with the tow
driver and two National Park Service rangers who had also responded to the
scene, police said. Melquides was warned to stop or be arrested on a charge
of disorderly conduct, and when he did not do so the officer handcuffed him
and placed him in a squad car, police said.
At this point
Melquides’ passenger, Maricruz Perez-Cortez, 22, “charged” officers and then
resisted “in such a violent manner” a request was made for a jail van to
transport her, police said. Even when leg-shackled, Perez-Cortez “continued
to knee and kick officers” and attempted to “bite” them as well, prompting
the officer to Tase her after warning her to desist, police said.
One NPS ranger
ultimately “was kneed and kicked in” the lower leg, while the other was
bitten in the lower leg and sustained “scratches and abrasions” to the hand,
police said.
Then, while being
transported to Porter County Jail, Perez-Cortez threatened one of the
rangers and his family “with bodily harm” and also threatened “to have his
children kidnapped,” police said.
Perez-Cortez was
charged with battery, resisting law enforcement, disorderly conduct, and
intimidation, police said.
One of the NPS
rangers subsequently received treatment for his injuries at Porter Regional
Hospital, police added.