there's been a culture of lawlessness out here for many years. ford heights is a close-knit community. they have a, we're not telling anybody type of attitude. >> we want to know where he's at so we can put him in handcuffs. >> there's the guy we're looking for. >> he needs to be off the street and needs to be off the street now. from a man hunt to the gang ridden south suburbs to the crystal meth traffickers in the city's gay community, the county investigators are pursuing leads in two uniquely closed worlds. >> the prevalent in the gay community, meth. >> it's huge up north in boys town.

we haven't even peeked into it. >> ever worked with the police before or no? >> when you work in the jail, you come across a ton of cases. and for about the last year, anybody in cook county that's been housed here for methamphetamines, there's about a 90% chance that i've interviewed them at one point or another. >> but the meth was too strong

for me. >> was it really? >> yeah, it was too strong for me. >> didn't like the high, huh? >> no. >> in the past decade, chicago has witnessed the rise of a new and powerfully addictive drug, crystal methamphetamine. meth related arrests cut across race and class lines. landing suspected users and dealers from all parts of the city and suburbs in cook county jail. it's here that they joined thousands of other detainees being held for trial. most having charged with crime, but not convicted. >> you guys have a lot of meth out by you? >> criminal intelligence unit investigator mike davis is looking for the right detainees to help him understand the city's meth trafficking network. >> a lot of people that use meth, i would honestly say that these places like this act actually saved some of them but a lot of them don't make it in here. >> you see the sores on the face, the rotted out teeth.

i grew up in the crack area and this is different. meth is a whole new ball game from crack. >> what's the difference? >> it's more money, it's cheaper to make and people stay higher longer. >> it won't last long. gang bangers won't let them sell meth because it takes away from the crack dealers. >> but there's one market where the meth trade is thriving with no signs of letting up -- the gay community. >> meth or no? >> no, all my boys that are homosexual, they have quick access to meth. >> it's huge, you know, up north in boys town. we haven't even peeked into it. the community itself is just -- it's a closed door. >> chicago's boys town neighborhood, named for its gay-friendly businesses and culture, is located four miles north of downtown. it's also known for its bathhouses and all-nightclub scene where many patrons allegedly go 20 score meth to enhance their sex drive.

>> is it prevalent in the gay community, meth? >> they buy it faster than you can come into the city. they have a group of people that smoke and smoke and bump. it releases serotonin levels in your brain that gives you a euphoric high. a very sexual high. >> davis and sheriff's police investigators are gaining a first-hand glimpse into a sub culture they know little about. this inmate, whom we're calling tango for his protection, comes from that world. >> he's got more meth busts than anybody i have ever come encounter with. and he's looking for help in his case. he's going to be honest. he has no choice to be. >> if you have a regular 9:00 to 5:00 job and somebody introduces it to you on a friday night, it's so potent, you stay awake on an entire week and now you have to go work. >> don't you peak during the high? >> the whole thing is an entire peak. >> what is the feeling like? is it comparable to heroin?

>> no, if you drink ten cups of coffee and your head starts tingling from that -- >> the caffeine rush, it's a constant that. bzzz. the longest i ever stayed up was 19 days. >> wouldn't you die? 19 days no sleep? can't you die? >> and this was continuous everyday use, over and over and over every day? >> with his lengthy arrest record, tango faces up to 12 years in prison for drug possession and delivery charges if convicted. so he's hoping to strike a plea deal by giving up his meth connections. the investigators never worked a case in boys town before. >> we coordinated our shirts for this interview. >> can you walk in and get

served meth at anytime? >> if you know somebody. >> you just got to know where to look? >> right. it's not like you can walk into a bar and say hey, where can i find some tweak? >> is the logo tweak? >> no, tina. >> meth to me is something that i've never actually dealt with before. so i was kind of interested to see what we're dealing with. we're gang intelligence, but we're never going to turn doubt intel that comes out of the jail, whether it's gang related or not. we don't know where this is going to go. >> 35 miles south of the boys town neighborhood is an entirely different world. police answer shots fired calls on a weekly, sometimes daily basis.

>> they're shooting out there. you know they're looking for you guys. just stay in the house, okay? bye. there's a call of a man with a gun. he's looking for this girl. she just called now to ask what's going on. >> a.j., you on 16? there was a turf war last night over who's going to sell drugs in a certain location in ford heights. we have one of the guys in custody right now. the other people that are looking to kill him now want to go after his girlfriend. >> what happens next will trigger an allout man hunt for a suspect terrorizing a community.

>> we want to know where he's at so we can put him in handcuffs. can you help us do that?

♪ >> no weapons. >> we're out to ford heights right now. so if you see anything, you' got my number. we will be out there all night. so -- >> far from the sh ig that most people know is one of the poorest suburbs in the u.s. it's the village of ford heights. the cook county sheriff's police inherited all law enforcement duties here after budgetary problems shut down the local

police force. today, investigators matt jenna and zach smith are searching for one particular gang member. he was last seen waving a gun at women and children on a neighborhood block. >> he have oen a bicycle and pulled a gun. he's got his crew with him face to face. holding a gun, i'm telling them watch out, pushing them and they were playing ball. >> he was pointing it at you? >> he was pointing it at them and when i said something he pointed it at me. i was trying to keep the kids from getting shot, them little babies. i tripped. my foot swelling right here, see? i was trying to push the neighborhood kids and my kids. >> you did the right thing. they really can't run that far. this town is not that big. >> somebody always hiding them. >> jenna and smith know the alleged gunman well.

we'll come him booth to maintain his anonymity. because he's affiliated with a gang, most residents won't turn him in. >> they hiding him because they're scared. i'm not scared. >> he was popping off and thankfully he jammed. >> i'm tired of this, no guns. >> i'll be back around and we'll be heavy in the area tonight, okay? >> thank you. >> there is the guy we're looking for. >> he ain't hanging out, i can tell you that. >> he's gong to be hiding somewhere. >> the crazy thing is, all these people know each other. they've all known each other for generations and they still have these types of beefs with each other.

it's just unreal. >> together with their fellow officers, jenna and smith begin turning up the heat on the area. they're hoping to catch a fresh lead on their suspect. >> did my partner tell you what's going on. we're looking for [ bleep ] spread the word, okay? we're going to be out here until we find him. spread the word. thank you. >> persistence pays off in this job. you stay on that guy, you stay on him long enough, you're going to get him. we're going to get him. >> did you ever see the gay community getting away from meth? >> absolutely not. >> no way? >> it's getting heavier and heavier and heavier. >> what's the most you've ever seen? >> meth?

it looked like a big block of ice, 18, 17 inches long. they were shipping it away. >> mike davis wants to ill fill trait the crystal meth traffic with the help of after cook county jail inmate. this confidential source whom we're calling tango is a known meth user. >> this guy that got popped off, if he's the main guy, who's out there picking up where he left off? >> tango has agreed to identify big-time and small-time dealers in boys town. a predominantly gay neighborhood on the north side that also happens to be the city's leading hub of meth use. >> how many dealers would you say boys town has off the top of your head? >> 50, 60. >> how many people do you think you could identify. if i were to give you pictures?

>> a lot. >> what about this one? >> he's a full-time dealer. he does bike messenger. >> who is this guy? >> really nice guy. does hair. he's a hair stylist. >> he's just pretty much supporting his own habit? this guy. >> he's a drag queen. he sells regularly. >> that's perfect. what about this gentleman. >> small time sales prostitution. >> do you think he's a good looking guy? >> absolutely not. >> he's a cheap prostitute, huh? >> very cheap. >> there's your main guy. >> this guy is a main guy. >> this is a triangle. all three of these guys get it from him. right now he's the one wearing the crown. >> is that what you guys refer to it as? >> yep. >> take your pick, which one do you want and we'll try to pick out a certain subject or two subjects. and we're going to go from there. >> if you want to find an

infestation of tweakers and rollers, you go to the bathhouses. meth and sex are synonymous. so meth allows you to have sex with people that you normally wouldn't have sex with because it just makes you really horny. >> essentially, you're sleeping with all your client if you're a meth dealer. >> a lot of times. not me personally. >> no, no, i'm sure not you. >> for davis and the sheriff's police, the next step is to start making undercover buys from the top dealers in boys town. >> because tango is in jail they'll need the help from his long-time boyfriend on the streets to help introduce them to the targets. tango's boyfriend is a meth user as well, but he's less experienced with the drug trade and is getting cold feet. so tango twists his arm in a last ditch plea. >> listen, listen, they said they could even send in an officer with you that you can introduce and then he can take

it from there. the quicker that you do something for them, the quicker that they can go to the state's attorney and start working. you see what i'm saying? >> his partner is a pretty innocent kid. we asked his partner, what was your gateway drug to meth? he's like there really wasn't a gateway, you know? the guy in jail introduced me to this stuff. >> can you trey and set something like that up? can you? can you? okay when? all right, love you. bye. >> he's game, i'm game. i'm going to push him to do it. >> however, as police take the operation to the next level, they worry that tango's partner might be in over his head. >> are you feeling nervous or what? >> i'm just trying to be as

natural as possible. >> the informant has no control over what the target is going to do. ve h. w ilii [ er. w

>> if you want to get the gram, they'll front the money, so whatever is easiest. >> investigator mike davis has recruited an informant from the city's number one hub of meth use -- the gay community. >> you can't just do this. you have to coordinate this through davis. they have to give you the money and know exactly when you're going in and coming out. >> but as long as this informant, whom we're calling tango is in jail, he needs his boyfriend on the outside to set up targets for police. >> we're on our way. four days later, tango's partner comes through. he arranges a buy with a major dealer. now davis and investigator

hernandez are headed to boys town to brief him before the deal goes down. several undercover units are going to conduct surveillance. >> there's nothing special that he has to do. just be normal. >> he's just doing this for his partner. >> we'll have guys on the street, undercover vehicles. >> that's him. he's looking high-low. >> honk your horn. tell him to honk his horn.

he's so green. i'll meet you guys there. >> investigators meet at another location where they'll hash it out with tango's boyfriend. we're calling him cash to protect his identity. cash has arranged to meet the target at a downtown hotel but is waiting for him to set a time. >> his prime target has not called him since lunch, but i know he's got multiple people he can do. just his preference is this one guy. >> let's jump in. >> something he's done in the past where you've called him and then he doesn't get in touch with you until he's ready? >> that's how they do it with everybody. >> it's going to have to happen

today. do you want to try giving him a call? >> are you nervous or what? >> just want to reassure you, just do what you normally do. nothing out of the ordinary. >> going to voicemail? do you think he's still at lunch or what? >> the person he was having lunch with was his supplier. >> do you think he's reupping? >> he could be, yes. >> he's the only person that wants it to happen more than i do. >> i know. >> meanwhile, on the far south side of the cook county, the clock is ticking for investigators there as well. 35 miles from boys town, the

sheriffs police are on the hunt for an armed gang member in ford heights. >> it's a ghost town. i'm going to head over to where j.t. is. >> two investigators are searching for the suspect we're calling booth to maintain his anonymity. he's wanted in connection with at least three alleged incidents in which he either threatened people with a gun or fired shots in a public area. >> he has a warrant for his arrest right now. word is going to spread pretty quickly that he's a perfect of interest. if he has any brain power left at all, he's going to try to change up his behavior patterns. >> he has a tendency to lie low at times and then spring when you least expect them. >> so everyone with traffic violations to drug offenders is being squeezed for information about booth.

>> do you know who i'm talking about? >> yeah, i know who you're talking about. >> okay, okay. because you could really help yourself out if i found him, like, today. >> but the code of silence here runs deep. ford heights is a close-knit community, held hostage by narcotics dealers and gangsters. men like booth are just one symptom of deeper rooted problems that have plagued ford heights for generations. in a community of roughly 3,000 residents, half live below poverty level. job opportunities are few and far between. so the quickest fix for many here is to sell drugs.

>> ain't no jobs out here, nothing. look at this. it's the slum. poverty. >> nobody deals drugs because they like it. they deal because they make money. >> i'm out here being me, living many e. you all have a beautiful day. >> a lot of families have come to depend on it. they may have a 14-year-old son and the mother has two or three kids and this 14-year-old son is brings home $500 a week selling drugs. that's the only income she has. >> hey, jay, goldie is at the liquor store. he has on a red leather jacket. >> with drugs come gangs and three groups dominate inform ford heights. the gangster disciples, the vice lords and four corner hustlers.

they compete for territory within a two square mile area that's divided in half by a highway. the recent closing of 100 southern units in the southern half has forced many of those residents to have relocate north, including gang members. among them, booth. a four-corner hustler who's allegedly trying to move his drug sales into rival turf. >> in order to make a profit, he took up a spot here. the guys here don't want to give that spot up. that's why we had gunshots yesterday and today and it will continue. >> everything was fine when the people stayed over here and they stayed over there. but now you put them together and it's a recipe for disaster. >> based on past experiences, the police now booth's enemies have a better chance of finding

him first, but it's often law-abiding citizens that get caught in the middle and pay a price. >> i just hope that he doesn't hurt anybody else before we get a hold of him.

>> do you think you can get out of there within 30 minutes of showing up? with an excuse or a reason? so he doesn't freak out? >> i understand he's, you know, a friend or what not. yeah, with the product. >> together with the cook county sheriff's police, investigator mike davis is coaching a first-time informant from chicago's boys town neighborhood. they've enlisted his help to set up a prominent crystal meth dealer in the gay community. the informant, whom we're calling cash, is working on behalf of his boyfriend in jail. >> this has to happen for me, too, you know? cash isn't the only one learning on the fly today. investigators are just bhe gining to understand the drug sub culture in boys down. it's here that crystal meth addiction is on the rise.

according to the chicago department of public health, 10% of local gay men have used meth which is also linked to higher rates of unprotected sex and the spread of hiv. >> meth in general, you always hear it's coming to your city, it's coming to your city and when it does, it takes over. they say it ruins your whole life, ruins the community. but if you can say you were actually a part of trying to stop it when it first started becoming prevalent in chicago, that's what we're here for, that's what we do for a living. >> but as davis discovers, meth dealers can be just as slippery as any other target in the drug game. >> i'll be back at 8:00 p.m. if you want to hang out tonight. >> cash and his dealer had previously agreed to deal this afternoon, but now that plan will have to change.

the team reconvenes later that night while cash stays in contact with their target. an hour and a half passes until a target says he's still making delivery to other customers so he won't make it back to his hotel. so police call it quits. >> this is the game. >> the informant made an effort. you know, he tried, but he has no control what the target is going to do. >> for cash, it was his best chance to get his boyfriend out of jail and now it's gone. >> he's crying a little bit. he's really upset. >> i think this is the first time i ever had a guy cry when it doesn't work out. it's usually me that's crying when it didn't work out. >> police decide to give him one

more shot to set up another target in boys town, but it's got to happen fast. >> round two, he'll probably be a little more seasoned and crafty in order to make something like this happen. because he has to be. he's got two days. >> of the group catches a break in the far south suburbs. they've nabbed a suspect on a minor drug offense who says he can help them find the alleged gunman we've been calling booth. booth has been hiding in ford heights and they're eager to find him.

>> we want to know where he's at so question can put him in handcuffs. can you help us do that? >> before somebody else gets shot. >> but now that they've returned to the station, they sense their detainee has had a change of heart. >> listen to me, all right? if you don't tell us where he's at, we'll go get him. you sit here. if it's all good, we'll let you go. >> we ain't going to bring him here. he ain't going to see you. >> don't think you're going to tell us something and we'll let you go. it don't work that way. >> he said on scene he knew where this person was. we said okay, we're not going to interview you out on this street where everybody is watching and trying to listen. we'll bring you back to the station. once we got him here, he says to me, what was that guy's name again? >> they send the detainee off to

jail and it isn't long before booth emerges from hiding again. this time he allegedly does what police always feared he would do. >> he just shot a girl about two hours ago. >> 13th and lexington. >> two different sources now say black mustang. >> we're using some of our informants and trueing to get real time about where they think he might be. >> he said he's not going to go easy, if he has to shoot the police, he will.

>> i need to make a quick call, all right? so give me just a minute. >> lexington and 13th. >> all right, sarge, we're rolling. >> a manhunt in south chicago's ford heights. where booth shot a woman allegedly just hours ago. witnesses say he was aiming at local man on a neighborhood block but hit the man's girlfriend instead. the bullet went through her leg and booth fled on foot. now 22 members of the sheriff's gang and fugitive warrants teams are descending on the area to find their suspect. >> he did make comments that we're getting from people that we talked to that he's not afraid to shoot police. he's not afraid to do what he

needs to do to get away. if he decides that's the way he wants to go, we'll handle our business on our end. >> police are blanketing ford heights, because they're not going in blind this time. they've enlisted paid street informants to chase down leads into booth's whereabouts. sergeant jason o'malley is work the search. >> we're working four different informants right now. all of them have some decent information, it's just, you're getting it in bits and pieces. >> no. >> their latest tip, booth is still in the area, riding in a black mustang with another gang member. >> two different sources now say black mustang, no plate, no nothing. we're trying to get more info right now. >> o'malley's team hits the blocks where booth's friends

live. >> they have a we're not telling anybody type of attitude. >> believe me, he's not here right now. >> without our informants, we would not have decent information. >> things begin moving quickly when another unit spots a black mustang parked a few blocks away. >> unoccupied. >> police, come to the door. police, come to the door. >> the owner of the mustang emerges.

the same man who was with booth earlier. >> yeah, he came out of the house. >> all right, this is the story. you know why we're out here, right? >> yeah, i heard. >> where is he at? >> who? >> last time you saw him he was in the back of your car. where is he now? >> i dropped him off at the store. >> what store? >> at the store up the street. >> he was like man, i need to get up out of here and i took him to the store, that's it. >> whose house is this? >> that's mama's house. ain't nobody there. i'm there visiting. >> there's nobody in that house. >> just me? i'm waiting for her to come back, the owner, that's it. i don't know what is going on. >> you don't know what's going on? you don't live in ford heights? you know we've been looking for

[ bleep ] for a while. >> i ain't got nothing to do with that. >> what do you mean you got nothing to do with that? you riding him around in your car. >> police get consent to search and they move in, bracing for a fight. >> don't be mad that i don't believe you. >> they clear the house within minutes. booth is not there and his friend, now in custody, is feeling the heat. >> did he tell you what he did? >> no, he didn't tell me. >> he didn't tell you what he was going there for? >> if what his friend is saying is true, then booth is headed ten miles south to a town outside of cook county. >> he's saying that he thinks he's hiding somewhere in the u.p.

yeah, do what you can. if you can find anything tonight. >> investigators reach out to their informants, and over the next hour, they confirm that booth's fled to university park. now it's a matter of pinpointing exactly where he's hiding. with help from the u.s. marshals, o'malley's teams uses electronic surveillance to locate the fugitive. they narrow their search to a single location, an apartment complex. and get ready to make an arrest the following morning. >> ten-four, we have two cars moving in right now. >> he's in front of us. >> one of two things. he gives up or he's fighting.

>> setting up surveillance in the apartment complex. anything that moves out of the apartments we'll be taking enforcement on the street. >> police are waging a manhunt for an armed fugitive we've been calling booth in chicago's south suburb 39 miles south of downtown. the gang investigators believe their suspect is hiding out at an apartment complex but don't know which unit yet. they' set up camp a half mile away. while undercover officers are keeping an eye on the building. they've also got confidential sources trying to verify the apartment number. >> the information we're getting from informants is he'll shoot back. he doesn't care if it's police or not. keep in mind, just make sure you find yourself cover. or if you can see him, take him out.

>> police are watching the complex to make sure the fugitive doesn't escape. and they've seen one driver that could be booth. >> he said he'll shoot police. >> let me see those hands. shut the car off with your left hand. everybody keep your hands up, hands up. >> but booth is not inside. >> what's wrong with you people? driving around with weed in your car. >> we're going to break loose and regroup. >> by the time he's done, investigator matt jenna and his team hear from one of their informants.

they get the apartment number they've been waiting for. now it's time to grab their suspect. >> it's going to be that building right there. jenna and nine other armed officers head up to the apartment. the resident there gives them permission to search. they find booth and another male inside. both surrender without incident. >> we all had that in our mind, this guy is willing to shoot police. your alertness is definitely heightened. are we going to take him? is this going to be the time?

everything is a little bit more stressful. that's for sure. >> authorities place both men under arrest. they'll charge booth with 15 total felony, including aggravated discharge of a firearm and attempted murder. he could serve life in prison if convicted. >> it's nice when you get someone like this off the street. because the violence is going to go down. even if it's just a little bit, it's better than nothing. it's not so much that you don't care about the other gang members who got shot or you don't care about, you know, the kids. you know, that's what -- i have three kids at of my own at home. my concern is all the kids out playing, it's summer vacation. that's what makes this one that much better. >> now that the manhunt is over, the police turn their attention back to other cases. including the crystal meth traffic in boys town. a pair of informants we're calling tango and cash set up

that area's main meth dealers. one target has already fallen through. they just made their first successful buy. >> how do you think the transaction went? >> i think it was fine. >> were you nervous up there? >> i didn't act like that but my heart was racing. >> really? >> cash is trying to help his boyfriend bargain for probation or a reduced prison sentence. >> let's just say the person i'm doing this for i care a lot about. i wouldn't do this for myself. i feel like someone's outcome is completely on you. i have paid thousands and thousands and thousands of dollars for lawyers and phone

calls. i've disagreed with different decisions that he's made, but i'm not going to try to control somebody. if i'm going to be with them, i have to accept whatever outcome. >> we had an informant in there. we also were able to make a buy out of that location and what we bought tested positive for crystal meth. >> cash scores another transaction for police several days later. it gives them the evidence they need to make their first boys town arrest. >> it's a very small apartment from what our informant is telling us. entry, mike gleason is going to be on the point, followed by moose. >> did you ever think about you would be doing this? >> crazy thing is, love somehow you justify things you would never do. things maybe you don't even believe in and i have crossed

lines that i thought i would never cross to help him. >> police make a successful hit. they take their target into custody and recover the narcotics and paraphernalia they hoped for, thanks to cash. >> the guy was great. probably one of the best informants i've ever worked with on the street. >> even so, there's no guarantee that cash's efforts will pay off for his boyfriend tango who still has to convince the state's attorney that he'll go clean if he's given a second chance. >> my thought is, is he going to get back out there and use again? if you look at true addicts that are really resourceful, they usually have set up safety nets and surrounded themselves with enablers. it almost appeared as if that's what was going on. so we got to see his boyfriend doing anything he can to help a guy who's probably been arrested five or six times. i think he's going to feel used. there's no doubt.

>> when it comes to drugs and crime, some patterns can seem almost impossible to break. by the end of another summer in ford heights, the sheriff's police have received more than 100 calls about gun fire, even though they've aggressively reduced crime by more than 33% since they took over policing here, they still face an uphill battle. >> there's been a culture of lawlessness out here for many years, a culture of violence that's got to change. and it's only going to change with cooperation from the residents. >> our heart goes out to the kids. his future may entail selling some of the drugs.