Illinois Men Arrested After Police Catch Them Damaging Vehicle

RACINE COUNTY -- Police arrested three Illinois men over the weekend after a Racine County Sheriff's deputy caught the trio damaging an already-disabled vehicle on the side of the road on Highway 20.

According to the complaint, A Racine County Sheriff's deputy was traveling east on Highway 20 in Racine County near County Highway U on Aug. 5 just before midnight when he observed three men, later identified as Marlon Bejar, 17, Chicago, Marco Cervantes, 28, Waukegan and Manuel Rocha 17, Zion, standing near a disabled vehicle.

Police say the vehicle, which had been tagged by law enforcement earlier in the day as disabled, had its alarm sounding and had a broken windshield when police arrived.

When the deputy arrived on scene, he ordered the men to stop, however Bejar, Cervantes and Rocha reportedly took off running and split into different directions into a tree-covered area.

Racine County Sheriff's Deputies deployed the K9 unit, and all three men were taken into custody shortly afterward.

According to the complaint, Cervantes and Rocha said that Bejar began smashing the vehicle and that both of them watched them do it. Bejar, when talking with police after his arrest, denied smashing the vehicle window and claimed not to know Rocha or Cervantes, and denied running fom law enforcement.

Marlon Bejar, 17, was charged with criminal damage to property, and two counts of obstructing an officer.
Bejar is out on a $400 signature bond.

Marco Cervantes, 28, Waukegan, was charged with one count of obstructing an officer, and is out on a $300 signature bond.

Manuel Rocha, 17, Zion, was charged with one count of obstructing an officer, and is out on a $300 signature bond.