Three arrested for assault of cab driver

A Wheeling man and two women were arrested late Friday on charges of assaulting a cab driver and forcing him to accept payment in cannabis, Lake County sheriff's office officials said.

Police arrested 34-year-old Arturo Arroyo-Vargas, 27-year-old Rosemarie Salgada and 27-year-old James Stine, all of Wheeling. All three were charged with assault, criminal damage to property and theft of services.

The trio called a cab to bring them to the 5100 block of Aptakisic Road in Long Grove Friday night, Lt. John Crilly of the Lake County sheriff's office said.

Upon their arrival, they refused to pay their $20 fare, Crilly said.

The cab driver would not accept their alternative form of payment and became frustrated with the group, police said. One of the passengers hit the driver in the back of the head and all three fled the vehicle into the house, police said. Another threw an unknown object at the cab, damaging the vehicle, according to police.

“They told him, ‘Don't get out of the cab or we'll shoot you,'” Crilly said. “They then fled into a house in the area. None of them was found to be in possession of a gun.”

Lake County police responded to the call at 11:20 p.m. and were assisted by Buffalo Grove police and the Buffalo Grove canine unit. Police arrested the trio and said they recovered 13 marijuana plants from the address where they'd fled.

They were released from Lake County jail on Saturday. Arroyo-Vargas was released on his own recognizance. Salgada was released on posting 10 percent of $1,000, and Stine was released on posting ten percent of $3,000.

Police are still investigating the ownership of the cannabis plants recovered from the Long Grove residence.