Times Staff Reports

CALUMET CITY

Bond set for father in child abuse case

A Cook County judge set bond at $250,000 Sunday for a 21-year-old Calumet City man who police accuse of battering his 5-week-old child last week.

Bobby Neal is scheduled to appear Feb. 22 for a preliminary hearing in Cook County court in Markham on charges of aggravated battery to a child, Cook County state's attorney's spokesman Andy Conklin said.

Calumet City police responded Friday night to Ingalls Memorial Hospital after a call of an infant who appeared to have been abused, Calumet City police Detective Kevin Rapacz said. Police learned the infant's mother had left the child with his father for about three hours earlier that night, he said.

When the mother picked the child up, she noticed extensive facial bruising and the infant's eyes were swollen shut, Rapacz said. The mother took the child to Ingalls, where he was treated. The infant was transferred to Comer Children's Hospital at the University of Chicago, where the infant remains in guarded condition, Rapacz said.

Calumet City police put its patrols on notice that Neal was wanted for questioning in connection with the incident, Rapacz said. Neal was arrested without incident when he was stopped in the area of Pulaski Road and Burnham Avenue, he said.

CALUMET CITY

Police: Crack cocaine, guns found during raid

A 22-year-old Calumet City man is facing drug possession charges because police say they found crack cocaine while executing a search warrant Friday.

A Cook County judge on Saturday set bond at $100,000 for Oliver Coverson, Cook County state's attorney's spokesman Andy Conklin said.

Coverson is scheduled to appear Feb. 21 for a preliminary hearing in Cook County court in Markham on a felony charge of possession of a controlled substance, he said.

He also faces four counts of aggravated unlawful use of a weapon by a felon and one count of misdemeanor possession of cannabis, Calumet City police Detective Kevin Rapacz said.

Coverson was a target of a monthlong investigation into drug sales at a house at 589 Muskegon Ave., Rapacz said. When they served the search warrant, Calumet City police and the South Suburban Emergency Response Team found three .38 caliber revolvers, a .44 caliber revolver, 52.1 grams of crack cocaine, a small amount of marijuana, four digital scales and numerous packing materials, Rapacz said

A 19-year-old woman arrested at the home was released without charges, Rapacz said.