PORTAGE — An early morning disturbance outside a local hotel, which involved reported gang activity, resulted in the arrest of five Illinois residents on various charges, according to Portage police.An officer said he patrolling along U.S. 20 around 1:45 a.m. Wednesday when he noticed a large crowd surrounding two men fighting in the parking lot of the Days Inn hotel.
"Portage Police Detectives recovered several electronic storage devices from the residence believed to contain additional evidence of crimes against children," according to new details released by Portage police.The two men engaged in the dispute were Michael Puente, 18, of Des Plaines, and Ryan Beechy, 20, of Tinley Park, police said.Beechy reportedly told police he had been jumped, but would not identify who was responsible.A witness told officers she was at the hotel "babysitting a drunk friend" when a group of others arrived and a fight broke out, according to police.Another witness reported Puente and Beechy were "throwing up gang signs at each other" and Beechy was claiming to be a "Latin King Killer," police said.
"We are committed to thoroughly investigating the cause of the fire to prevent future tragedies," the department reported.Puente and Bridget Broderick, 20, of Norridge, were taken to jail on charges of false informing, minor consumption of alcohol and disorderly conduct, police said.Beechy, Timothy Hollins Jr., 19, of Hoffman Estates, and Devon Watkins, 18, of Forest Park, were also taken to jail on charges of disorderly conduct and minor consumption of alcohol, according to the arrest report.Portage police said last year that a
crackdown on troublesome hotels in the city was paying off with fewer calls."At this point, it appears the proactive steps we took have dramatically affected the call volume," Portage Police Chief Mike Candiano had said. "If things begin to trend negatively as we start entering the warmer months, we will again increase patrols, enforcement details and apply the (excessive call) city ordinance if applicable."
Gallery: Recent arrests booked into the Porter County Jail
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