Police say man swallowed cocaine stash

Elgin police said they arrested a man Monday who swallowed a bag of cocaine with the hope of avoiding arrest by destroying the evidence.

But then he spilled some of it, police said.

Anthony DeLaPena, 36, a homeless man living in Elgin, was charged with possession of a controlled substance and obstruction of justice, a report said.

Police said they witnessed a "drug buy" in the rain on Elgin's east side at 9:43 p.m. Monday. The seller ran off, but as they approached the car where DeLaPena was sitting in the passenger seat, he popped the bag of cocaine he had just purchased for $40 into his mouth and swallowed it.

But that didn't destroy their case. DeLaPena spilled about a tenth of a gram of it on the front seat of the car, police said.

He was unable to post a $3,000 bond and was taken to the Kane County jail Tuesday. His next court date is on April 16 at the Kane County Judicial Center.

Armando DeLaPena, 55, of 600 Wellington Ave., Elgin, who drove his nephew, Anthony, to the drug buy, according to police, was cited for driving with a suspended license. He remains in the Elgin lockup with a $300 bond and an April 8 court date.