2 men facing drug charges after rash of heroin overdoses

CHICAGO (FOX 32 News) - Two men were arrested on drug charges over the weekend amid a wave of heroin overdoses on the West Side that saw 74 people hospitalized in three days last week.

Alfonzo Sylvester, 24, and 26-year-old Mario Wofford sold heroin to an undercover police officer about 11:15 a.m. Friday in the 3900 block of West Congress, according to Chicago Police.

Wofford was arrested at the scene but Sylvester was able to drive away, police said. He was spotted the next day and arrested in the 300 block of East 47th Street about 12:30 p.m. Saturday, police said.

Sylvester, of the 400 block of North Lavergne, faces a felony heroin possession charge and 16 traffic citations, police said. He was ordered held on a $30,000 bond Sunday, according to Cook County Circuit Court records.

Wofford, of the 1500 block of South St. Louis, is charged with a felony count of manufacturing heroin with the intent to deliver it, police said. He was released on his own recognizance, court records show.

According to police, the men sold an undercover narcotics officer $720 in heroin on the West Side.

Investigators are still trying to pinpoint the cause of the sudden rise in overdoses.

The batch of heroin is laced with a powerful drug called fentanyl, which police believe could be coming from Mexico. Fentanyl is a very strong narcotic used for cancer-treatment.

The men charged are due back in court Oct. 21.

The Sun-Times Media Wire contributed to this report.