St. Charles Police Nab Third Man Linked to June 8 Knife Attack

The victim of a knife attack a week ago ended up in jail that same night after breaking a window to the apartment of the man who reportedly slashed him twice with a knife, according to police.

The arrest of James Richard Durante Jr., 23, of the 100 block of North 15th Street, was the third arrest in connection with the slashing attack. All three arrests were made Saturday night, June 8, 2013, althought the reports on each arrested trickled out during the course of last week.

St. Charles police on Monday announced the arrest of Edward E. Brubaker, of the 100 block of North 15th Street, on a felony charge of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon after the fight.

The arrests of Durante, charged with criminal property damage, a Class 4 felony; and Durante’s friend, Joseph A. Wessely, 21, of the 700 block of Walton Street, Grayslake, on a charge of resisting/obstructing a peace officer, bookended the arrest of Brubaker and came at a time police said both Durante and Wessely were highly intoxicated.

First Report, First Arrest

Police first were called to the about 5:36 p.m. by a woman who complained that two drunken men — whom police later identified as Durante and Wessely — were banging on a neighbor’s door hard enough that it was causing things to fall over in her home apartment.

The woman told police the two men were in their 20s, and one was wearing a white T-shirt.

Officers who arrived at the apartment complex found a man wearing a white T-shirt and who appeared to be intoxicated walking in a common area. When the officer told the man, identified as Wessely, to come to him, Wessely flipped his middle finger at the officer and fled, triggering a chase, a police report states.

The officer caught up with Wessely as he tried to enter Durante’s apartment, according to the report, which stated that Durante struggled with police while trying to pull Wessely inside. One officer reported receiving injuries to his arm and hand during the scuffle, during which the door was slammed on the officer’s arm and hand.

Police got Wessely, and Durante subsequently locked himself inside the apartment and would not open the door again to police. Police took Wessely into custody with plans to return later to talk again with Durante.

Knife Attack, Second Arrest

But within minutes of taking Wessely into custody, police said Durante had become involved in a confrontation with Brubaker, a resident of the same apartment complex.

Brubaker, police said, brought a kitchen knife to the confrontation with Durante, who suffered two long slash wounds to his right side and cut to his head. Police said paramedics treated Durante, but he refused to be taken to the hospital for additional treatment.

Broken Window, Third Arrest

Durante’s arrest came hour later, at 9:42 p.m., when officers returned to his apartment after a report of criminal property damage to a window of a neighboring apartment. Police said a neighbor reported that Durante had pounded on a window of Brubaker’s apartment until the window broke.

Damage to the window was estimated at $350, so Kane County prosecutors authorized felony charges.

Related:

• June 10, 2013: St. Charles Man Charged With Slashing Neighbor

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