2 Texas men charged in meth case
If Anthony Hajecate had yielded the right of way, police probably wouldn’t have pulled him over.
But because Hajecate, 26, nearly hit another vehicle at 76th Street and Exchange Avenue, patrol officers in the South Chicago District decided they should have a word with him. Soon after, police would find more than $100,000 worth of meth in his car, according to CPD records.
When the officers were speaking with him shortly after 6 p.m. Jan. 8, they noticed Hajecate “appeared very nervous by shaking and stuttering,” according to an arrest report.
After Hajecate surrendered the two knives he had on him, another officer saw Larry Cole, who was in the front passenger seat, “shifting nervously and continuously placing and removing his hands in his front jacket pockets,” the report states. One of the officers noticed a plastic bag with white residue in Cole’s pocket, and the two men were ordered out of the car.
While searching the vehicle, officers found nearly 270 grams of methamphetamine, which police said was worth $105,440. The officers also found 135 pills suspected to be Xanax, a scale, 10 glass pipes, a 12-gauge shotgun stored in a violin case and two handguns, one of which had a defaced serial number, the arrest report states.
Hajecate was charged with aggravated unlawful use of a weapon, methamphetamine manufacturing, possession of a controlled substance and unlawful use of a weapon, according to the Cook County state’s attorney’s office. He was also cited for traffic offenses and remains held at the Cook County Jail after his bail was set at $50,000.
If Hajecate posts bond, Judge David Navarro ordered a hearing be held to determine if the money is coming from a legitimate source.
Cole, 39, was charged with possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Both men live about 40 miles southeast of Houston. Their families could not be reached for comment.
Though rampant in many parts of the country, meth is relatively uncommon in Chicago. Since 2001, the CPD has made 842 meth-related arrests, according to department data. By comparison, officers have made more than 126,000 arrests related to heroin and another 28,000 related to cocaine.