Police: Gang member brought loaded gun to fight in Palatine

Palatine police say an admitted street gang member is free on bail on charges alleging he held a loaded handgun last week as others fought nearby with baseball bats and pieces of wood.

Alex Sanchez, 19, of the 1500 block of Crimson Lane in an unincorporated area just outside Palatine, faces felony charges of aggravated unlawful use of a weapon and unlawful possession of a firearm by a street gang member, authorities said Tuesday. He was freed from the Cook County jail after posting 10 percent of $10,000 bail.

Police said the unlawful possession of a firearm charge alleges Sanchez had a loaded weapon without a concealed-carry license or a firearm owners identification card.

It was just before 5 p.m. April 27 when officers responded to a call on the 1200 block of East Inverrary Lane, near Baldwin Road, where several people were fighting with pieces of wood and baseball bats, according to police.

Authorities said a Palatine police gang unit member in the area was first on the scene and observed a known gang member holding a handgun. Police said the man, later identified as Sanchez, began to run despite the officer's giving him several commands to stop. After a brief chase, police said, officers captured Sanchez and recovered a loaded .45-caliber, semiautomatic handgun.