Two arrested in Elgin after drug complaint

Two 23-year-old men were arrested Thursday in Elgin after police responded to a drug complaint, stopped two vehicles including a taxi, and found drugs and a loaded handgun, authorities said.

Members of the gang and drug units were investigating a drug complaint in the area of Wing Street and Crystal Avenue and established probable cause to conduct traffic stops on the vehicles, police said in a Facebook post Friday.

The passenger of the taxi, Christopher Caraway-Hahs of the 1000 block of Highland Avenue in Waukegan, had an active warrant for his arrest. A police search yielded a loaded handgun, several grams of marijuana and cocaine, several ounces of codeine cough syrup, and pills composed of acetaminophen/hydrocodone, police said.

The driver of the other vehicle, Emelio Villegas, of the 700 block of North Lyle Avenue in Elgin, was found to be in possession of marijuana and a pistol magazine loaded with ammunition, police said.

Police said they determined there was "an established relationship" between the two men; police spokeswoman Kristie Hilton declined to provide further information.

Caraway-Hahs and Villegas were charged with three counts of armed violence, a Class X felony; one count of manufacture/delivery of a controlled substance, a Class X felony; one count of manufacture/delivery of cannabis, a Class 3 felony; and one count of possession of a controlled substance, a Class 4 felony.

Villegas also was charged with unlawful possession of firearms and firearm ammunition, a Class A misdemeanor.

Bail for Caraway-Hahs was set at $250,000 and bail for Villegas was set at $200,000 Friday morning in bond court, police said.

"We encourage all of our residents and visitors to report suspicious activity," Police Deputy Chief Al Young said. "Because of citizen involvement, we were able to remove illegal drugs and an illegal handgun from Elgin's streets."