Des Plaines Alderman Dick Sayad arrested on trespassing charges

Des Plaines Alderman Dick Sayad was arrested Friday afternoon on charges of criminal trespassing to property after walking into a resident's home unannounced Wednesday.

Sayad, the city's 4th Ward alderman, confirmed that police came to his home and took him to the police station to be booked and fingerprinted. He was released on a recognizance bond, and is due in court April 10 in Skokie.

Sayad said the complaint was signed by Dave Uhrich, who encountered him about 6:15 p.m. Wednesday when the alderman walked up the stairs to Uhrich's second floor music studio in his home on the 400 block of Harvey Avenue.

On Friday, Sayad declined to comment on the charges, except to say he is awaiting his day in court.

He told the Daily Herald on Thursday he went to the house to talk with the homeowners about a ticket they got for not removing snow from a public sidewalk.

"Nothing happened. They didn't file any charges. It was a mistake," Sayad said at the time. "I'm not going to wash clothes with a resident in public in the newspaper. I was acting as an alderman (Wednesday), and everything I thought I did was correct."

Alicia Carlile, Uhrich's fiance, declined to comment on the charges Friday. She told the Daily Herald on Thursday that she and her fiance hadn't decided at the time whether to press charges.

Police Chief Bill Kushner said Sayad told police he knocked on the back door, and when no one answered, he looked through a window and saw the staircase, presuming the house was divided into apartments. Sayad walked inside and went upstairs, and after knocking on the door to the music studio, Uhrich opened the door, Kushner said.

Uhrich asked him to leave, and Carlile said she later called Sayad on the phone to ask why he came into their house.

Carlile has requested a city hearing for her ticket because she believes the snow was on an easement, not her property.