Reputed gang members charged in bar fight
Two men, reputedly members of the Outlaws motorcycle gang, face felony weapons charges after they reportedly became involved in a fight inside a Brookfield bar on April 13 at about 3 a.m.
Brookfield resident Gustavo Bujdud, 46, and Bolingbrook resident Goran Simovski, 36, were charged with one count each of unlawful use of a weapon by police. Bujdud was also charged with one felony count of aggravated battery.
According to the police report, one of the victims said he was inside Brixie’s Saloon, 9526 Ogden Ave., and heading toward the bar to get another drink when Bujdud confronted him.
Bujdud reportedly screamed profanities at the victim and asked him, “Why are you in my ——- bar?” The two exchanged words before Bujdud allegedly punched the victim in the face. During the ensuing melee, which involved several other people, Bujdud reportedly pulled out a retractable metal baton and began swinging it around, hitting at least one bar patron in the thigh and damaging the floor and wall of the tavern.
In addition to the baton, Bujdud was reportedly carrying a hunting knife with a 6-inch blade. Police also reported finding a hunting knife with a 6-inch blade on Simovski’s person.
Several of the bar patrons reportedly refused to press charges because they feared retaliation from the gang.
Bujdud in 1986 was convicted for his role in the slaying of a rival gang member in Cicero two years earlier. A Cook County judge sentenced him to 32 years in prison in that case.
According to the Chicago Tribune, Bujdud and another gang member were searching for rival gang members when they saw 16-year-old Roman Rys. Bujdud’s co-defendant in that case, Louis Rainone, killed Rys with two shotgun blasts. Bujdud’s rifle reportedly jammed, according to the Tribune.
At an April 14 hearing, Bujdud’s bond was set at $25,000. Simovski’s bond was set at $10,000. Both men had a preliminary hearing at the Maybrook courthouse Tuesday morning.
No seatbelt, no license, prior DUIs
Riverside police are filing paperwork to seize a 2004 GMC vehicle after arresting the vehicle’s owner during a routine traffic stop on April 10.
Police stopped the vehicle about 1:15 a.m. in the 2600 block of Harlem Avenue because the driver reportedly wasn’t wearing a seatbelt. Police subsequently learned the driver, 30-year-old Juan Abcara, of Cicero, had his license revoked due to a prior conviction for driving under the influence.
Later, police learned that Abcara had been charged with DUI a second time and had been arrested multiple times for driving on a revoked or suspended license. Abcara was charged with one felony count of driving while revoked along with two traffic citations.
Police refused to release Abcara’s vehicle back to him when he attempted to get it following his bond hearing, saying they don’t want Abcara to be “able to drive the same vehicle he was arrested in.”
Dog-napping in Riverside?
Police responded to South Herbert Road in Riverside on April 8 about 8 p.m. after a resident reported his 6-month-old German shepherd missing from the backyard. The man stated he let his dog out into the yard about 7:20 p.m. and discovered the dog missing 40 minutes later. The dog, though still a pup, is large and weighs about 50 pounds.
The resident said he saw a man walk past his house a couple of times prior to the time his dog went missing, but he was unsure if the man had anything to do with the dog’s disappearance. He did note that a corner of the 3-foot-high fence in his backyard appeared to be disturbed.
Felony DUI
Cicero resident Francisco Javier Flores, 19, faces felony drunk-driving charges after a Riverside police officer stopped him at 6:41 a.m. on April 11 for driving in the wrong lane of traffic to get around a car stopped at the stop sign at Delaplaine and Eastgrove roads. According to the police report, the arresting officer discovered 16 open cans of beer inside the 1999 Honda that Flores was driving. Flores’ blood alcohol level was .136, which is more than the legal limit of .08. In addition to the felony DUI charges, Flores was cited for several other offenses, including driving without a valid license, disobeying a stop sign and illegal transportation of alcohol.
Meanwhile, Chicago resident Daniel Medina, 37, faced felony DUI charges after he was stopped for allegedly driving 60 mph while northbound on Harlem Avenue at Longcommon Road at 2:44 a.m. on April 12.
A breath test revealed Medina’s blood-alcohol level to be .16, which is twice the legal limit.
These items were obtained from police reports filed by the Riverside, North Riverside and Brookfield police departments, April 8-14, and represent a portion of the incidents to which police responded. Unless otherwise indicated, anybody named in these reports has only been charged with a crime. These cases have not been adjudicated.
