Father and Son Arrested After Friend ODs on Smack

investigated the scene of a heroin drug overdose and found needles and drug residue all over an Oak Lawn home on Nov. 14, according to police reports.

Stephen Gaal, 54, and his son, Sean, 22, of the 5200 block of West Kimball Place, were both charged with possession of drug paraphernalia. Sean received an additional charge of possession of a controlled substance.

Detectives arrived at the home around 5:30 p.m. According to the officer on the scene, a man visiting the home had overdosed on smack earlier in the day and was taken to Little Company of Mary Hospital. The man told the officer that he hadn’t been using heroin for very long and didn’t know how to inject himself. The man consented to letting Sean Gaal shoot him up, police said.

While talking to the Gaals, the officer saw hypodermic needles and small plastic bags commonly used to store drugs, the report said. The officer said that Sean Gaal denied his request to search the house.

His father, Stephen, volunteered to get the narcotics, which were in the house, provided that no one would get arrested, the report said.

The detectives confirmed the overdosed man’s story that the younger Gaal had shot him up, police said. OLFD also told detectives that they told Sean Gaal on the scene that it might save his friend’s life if they told him what drugs the man had taken, the report said.

According to OLFD, Sean denied any knowledge of the man using drugs.

Detectives waited at the house until a search warrant was obtained at 6:30 p.m. Police recovered dozens of hypo needles, some containing an unknown substance, along with two digital scales, the report said.

Police said they also recovered more needles containing an unknown substance in the bathroom, and plastic bags with what appeared to be drug residue.

Another needle with an unknown substance was found in the laundry room, and “multiple small plastic bags containing drug residue” were found in the living room, the report said.

Police searched Stephen Gaal’s bedroom and found hypo needles and spoons dusted with drug residue in Stephen’s nightstand, after which, police said they took the father and son into custody.

According to the report, Stephen Gaal said he didn’t know how the drug paraphernalia got into his nightstand after he was read his rights. His son refused to give police a statement.

Stephen Gaal is to appear in court on possession of drug paraphernalia charges in Bridgeview on Dec. 6.

The report did not offer any additional information about the overdosed man’s condition.