Adult arrested for beating juvenile

KALEB FINDLAY

One of two men wanted by police for beating a juvenile victim they tried to incite to fight is in the Will County lockup.
The Wilmington Police Department said the arrest followed the investigation of an incident that occurred in the evening of Aug. 31 in the 100 block of North Kankakee Street.
According to police reports, Charles L. Neese III, 23, of Morris, and Kaleb L. Findlay, 20, Wilmington, came to the location where several juveniles were standing and challenged them all to a fight.
When nobody took them up on their offer, Findlay reached across the fence and struck the 17-year-old juvenile victim in the face.
According to witnesses the juvenile did not want to fight, even after being punched.
When the victim refused to fight, Findlay told him that he was going to break out his car windows, and then entered the victim's car (without permission) and began rummaging through the contents.
When the victim went to the car and told Findlay to get out, Findlay began beating him, and then pulled a knife from his pocket, threatening to stab the juvenile victim.
Neese then came up behind the juvenile victim and threw him to the ground, at which time Findlay and Neese both jumped on top of him, striking and kicking him numerous times until the others pulled them off.
Findlay and Neese then fled the scene.
The juvenile was taken to the hospital by a family member. He suffered a dislocated shoulder, two black eyes and several lacerations on his face.
After a thorough investigation, Detective Karl Jurgens of the Wilmington Police Department worked with the Will County state’s attorney’s office, which approved charges for aggravated battery, mob action, and battery against Neese, and aggravated battery, mob action, battery, assault, and criminal trespass to vehicle against Findlay.
The Honorable Judge Domenica Osterberger issued warrants for both subjects, setting their bonds at $100,000 each.
Findlay was arrested at his residence on Sept. 30 and transported to the Will County Adult Detention Facility. He was still in custody as of press time. He will have to post $10,000 bail to be released.
Editor's note: Persons named in police activity reports are innocent of any charges until proven guilty in a court of law.