Prospect Hts. man arrested with guns, drugs

Prospect Heights police confiscated two assault rifles and a collection of illegal drugs Tuesday night from a 20-year-old Prospect Heights man who claimed he was holding the guns for his gang, authorities said.

Dennis J. Szczygiel of the 300 block of East Clarendon was arrested at his home and charged with possession of cocaine with intent to deliver, possession of cannabis with intent to deliver, unlawful use of weapons and possession of firearms without an identification card, according to a news release from the police department.

Szczygiel admitted to being a member of a gang, and at the time of his arrest he was out on bail for an unrelated mob action charge in Wheeling, said Bruce Morris, chief of police in Prospect Heights.

Prospect Heights police said they found 58 grams of cocaine; 350 grams of marijuana; two military-type assault rifles, one of which was loaded; and $1,150 in U.S. currency.

Police took a phone call around 8 p.m. from a 16-year-old girl who said she was home alone but heard screaming coming from an upstairs bedroom.

When officers entered the bedroom they found Dennis Szczygiel alone, stuffing a large amount of money into a knapsack.

Police said he entered the house without the knowledge of his sister, who called police when she heard the noise.

Szczygiel told officers he was selling the drugs to pay his legal bills and that he was holding the guns for the gang, Morris said.

Morris described the weapons as similar to ones that officers carry in their cars.

Prospect Heights has a gang presence, Morris said, but he does not consider it to be a big problem.

"We've been able to combat most of it," said Morris. "It's like a chess game. We push them, they go somewhere else."

He said the single-family area of town has not generally been considered a problem area, but more crime reports have been coming in as people rent out homes that they can't sell because of harsh economic times.