Wheeling police release report of siblings' arrest

Wheeling police Friday released the original arrest report for two siblings earlier this month that prompted an internal investigation after their mother claimed in a TV interview that an amateur video showed her daughter being treated overly roughly by officers as she was taken into custody.

Wheeling Deputy Police Chief Todd Wolff said the internal review of the June 6 arrests of 19-year-old Christian Ruiz of Wheeling and his 21-year-old sister Ashley Rodriguez of Chicago is likely to take another week.

According to the report, two officers and a supervisor responded to a call of a group of people fighting in front of the apartment building at 87 N. Wolf Road at 7:42 p.m.

When the supervisor arrived, he reported seeing Ruiz and a juvenile - both of whom he said were known to be gang members - walking away from the area at a fast pace.

The juvenile was reportedly argumentative as he was taken into custody. Officers were reportedly questioning Ruiz when Rodriguez approached. Though she was told to back away, officers reported that she refused to move any farther than 10 to 12 feet away.

Rodriguez was reportedly carrying a large handbag. The supervisor reported that gang members frequently use female associates to hold weapons for them and for distraction purposes in confrontations with police.

According to the report, officers then began arresting Rodriguez who became irate and resistant.

Ruiz began trying to intervene in Rodriguez's arrest, at which point officers pushed him up against a wall and took him to the ground and handcuffed him as he continued to resist, the report said.

Rodriguez was also handcuffed and put in the rear of a squad car. No weapons or contraband were found when both siblings were searched, according to the report.

Ruiz was charged with aggravated assault to a peace officer and resisting. Rodriguez was charged with obstructing a peace officer and resisting.

Both were issued a court date of July 1.

In an interview with Telemundo, Ruiz and Rodriguez's mother, Wanda Vargas, said, "I watched the video, but I couldn't finish it because I was hurt to see how they grabbed my daughter ... like an animal."