MOKENA, Ill. () — An Oak Lawn man is facing charges after police said they found him carrying eight Molotov cocktails and a hand-drawn map of the area that appeared to reference a local mosque.
Mokena police said Hamed Alsaidi was arrested Saturday near 191st Street and LaGrange Road after officers encountered him walking in the street.
The ABC7 I-Team learned exclusively Wednesday that Alsaidi is now in ICE custody in Indiana, after he had initially been released to home confinement following charges filed in Will County.
Federal database records show Alsaidi is originally from Jordan and is currently being held by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Indiana. After his appearance in Will County Court and release to his home this week, ICE detained him, and he now faces the possibility of deportation.
Investigators said they discovered eight Molotov cocktails in Alsaidi’s bag on Saturday, each with gauze stuffed into the top as a wick. They also reported finding a handwritten map of the area that included the Metra station and the phrase “you see the mosque,” which appeared to refer to the Orland Park Prayer Center.
At the time he was taken into custody, however, Alsaidi was more than five miles from the mosque.
Alsaidi had been on law enforcement’s radar before. Cook County records show Forest Preserve police arrested him in October of last year on domestic battery charges. Those charges were dismissed later that month after the “complaining witness” failed to appear in court.
By Wednesday, questions were mounting over why Alsaidi had been released to home confinement in the first place.
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Will County prosecutors opposed his release, contending he had a high likelihood of fleeing to avoid prosecution with an active order of protection for Orland Park residents and he was known to be undocumented.
Illinois law enforcement is barred from coordinating with federal authorities on immigration cases by law.
Alsaidi appeared in court Sunday and was released on electronic monitoring, before later being taken into federal custody.
Alsaidi was charged with unlawful use of a weapon and obstructing identification, Will County officials said.
The suspect has an active order of protection against residents and addresses in Orland Park, police said.
Orland Park police say they’re in close communication with Mokena police about possible threats to the mosque.
The FBI is also involved in the investigation.
The Orland Park Prayer Center did not immediately respond to ABC7’s request for comment.
The I-Team has reached out to Mokena police, the U.S. Attorney’s office and ICE, but have not yet heard back.
