Police corral hundreds at rave party

By David Steinkraus, Nov. 4, 2002

Sunday, November 3, 2002 11:18 PM CST

RACINE -- Acting on a tip, Racine police found their way to a drug party on Saturday night where they arrested three people and wrote hundreds of citations for others.

It was a rave, a type of party known for a mix of music and recreational drugs such as Ecstasy, police said. A prepared police statement said:

Based on information from the U.S. Customs Service, undercover officers went through the Haunted Theater (Uptown Theater) at 1430 Washington Ave.

After the very brief tour, officers were directed to the basement of Tradewinds Village, 1518 Washington Ave., for the party. There they bought Ecstasy and Ketamine.

Just after 12:30 a.m. Sunday, police entered the building, made the arrests and started writing tickets. There were about 450 people at the party, most from the Milwaukee and Chicago areas but also some from St. Louis, Baltimore and Arizona.

The crowd was young, between about 17 and 25, said Sgt. William Macemon, public information officer for the Racine Police Department.

Officers wrote 441 citations accusing people of being patrons of a disorderly house. Four other people received citations for being keepers of a disorderly house. The penalty for those tickets is close to $1,000 each.

In addition, police found more than 100 Ecstasy pills plus smaller amounts, for personal use, of Ketamine, cocaine, and marijuana.

Three people were arrested on drug charges.

Dylan M. Engel, 22, of West Allis, was accused of felony possession of Ecstasy.

Corey A. Stephens, 21, of Freemont, was accused of possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Ryan C. Keller, 21, of Bartlet, was accused of felony possession of Ecstasy with intent to deliver, felony possession of Ketamine, and felony delivery of Ketamine.

Engel posted bond and was released from the Racine County Jail on Sunday afternoon. Stephens and Keller were still being held early Sunday evening.

In late 2000, two young men were arrested and charged with a series of break-ins at area veterinary hospitals to obtain Ketamine -- an anesthetic -- which they sold at area parties. Rave parties are not common here, authorities say.

"This is the first one that I know of happening within the city of Racine," Macemon said.

It took so much time on Sunday to process all those people and all that paper that officers still had more to do.

"We're investigating how involved the Haunted Theater is," Macemon said. Depending upon what people at the theater and Tradewinds knew about the rave party, there may be other charges coming, he said.

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