La Salle County Trafficking Case

Overview

• Article: "Judge: Toss a kilo of cocaine, stay in jail" (Shaw Local).
• Published January 8, 2026; author Tom Collins covers La Salle County criminal justice.
• Report concerns Mendota man Ruemy Duarte Castaneda jailed while awaiting trafficking trial.

Incident Details

• Defendant: Ruemy Duarte Castaneda, 50, of Mendota.
• Allegations:
  • Threw a brick (approximately one kilogram) of cocaine out of his car window.
  • Fled from police, side‑swiped a truck, then ran on foot.
• Prosecutors argued conduct warranted continued jail detention despite proposed home confinement and GPS monitoring.

Court Decision

• Judge denied release; Duarte Castaneda remained in La Salle County Jail while awaiting trial.
• Reason: alleged violent and flight behavior, drug quantity and trafficking allegation.

Source And Context

• Reporting outlet: Shaw Local (Illinois Valley section), NewsTribune tag for La Salle County court coverage.
• Photo credit: image of Ruemy Duarte Castaneda provided by law enforcement (caption indicates photo provided by La [county or agency]).

Action Items

• None specified in transcript.

Decisions

• Judge ordered detention (no pretrial release) based on alleged actions and risk factors.