Confrontation Over Parking Spot Escalates Quickly, 2 Shirtless Men and 3 Wearing Shirts Arrested: Cops

JOLIET, IL — A dispute over where a driver parked his pickup prompted two men to tear off their shirts, smash out the truck’s windows and run back and forth across the street, police said.

One of the shirtless men, 23-year-old Salvador Ramirez, also punched the driver after he had the temerity to park on his street, police said.

In all, five men, including Ramirez, were arrested in connection with the 3 a.m. Sunday ruckus on Henderson Avenue.

The trouble started when a 29-year-old, who was headed to a party on Henderson, parked his Chevy Avalanche on the street. Ramirez and Luis Pintor, 23, confronted the man and told him “no trucks were allowed to park there,” police said.

Ramirez and Pintor shouted obscenities at the man and he cursed them back, then headed to his party.

But before he could get there, Ramirez punched him in the head, police said. Party guests came out to settle things down, and that was when Ramirez and Pintor reportedly stripped off their shirts and attacked the Avalanche, bashing in all of its windows and ripping off both side mirrors with their bare hands.

When the cops showed up, the two shirtless men were dashing back and forth across the street, police said. They were both arrested and — while he was in custody — Ramirez allegedly spat on an officer.

But even with Ramirez and Pintor out of the picture, the police still had problems on Henderson Avenue.

Three more men — Martin Ramirez, 25, Jose Arteaga, 23 and Roberto Arteaga, 18 — walked up on officers, police said, and Martin Ramirez started making threats.

An officer reportedly knocked Martin Ramirez to the ground. Jose Arteaga then grabbed a cop from behind and Roberto Arteaga also took hold of an officer before they too were knocked down.

All three were arrested and later released on their own recognizance.