An Elgin man allegedly hid in a Marengo barn as a SWAT team executed a search warrant on a house and his truck, where prosecutors said they found cocaine with a potential street value of $300,000.

Abel Amador, 52, is charged with possession, manufacturing and delivery of more than 900 grams of cocaine, a Class X felony, according to the criminal complaint and McHenry County Assistant State’s Attorney Margaret O’Brien, who argued Sept. 25 in court for Amador’s pretrial detention.

O’Brien said a SWAT team arrived at the ranch, where they executed a search warrant on the house and vehicles, including a red tow truck.

Initially, no one answered when police asked who owned the tow truck. But after police threatened to break the window to get into the tow truck, Amador said it was his and handed over the keys, the prosecutor said. Police confirmed it was registered to Amador’s residence, O’Brien said.

Police searching the tow truck found 3 kilograms of suspected cocaine with a street value up to $300,000, the prosecutor said.

At the scene “Amador refused to be interviewed,” O’Brien said.

She argued that Amador is a danger to the community, should be detained in the county jail pretrial and that, even if he was placed on home confinement, that would not protect the community. Customers could go to his house and buy cocaine from him, O’Brien said.

“This is not a drug-use problem, This is a drug dealer,” O’Brien said. “He very clearly has access to large a quantity of drugs he is bringing into our community.”

But Amador’s attorney, Robert Rascia, said there is no proof Amador owns the truck, that the cocaine is his, that he put the cocaine in the truck or that he knew it was there. Rascia also claimed the substance found had not yet tested positive as cocaine, though O’Brien later said a field test was positive.

Rascia said police arrived at the ranch shortly after Amador did and there were multiple people present. The defense attorney said he had not yet seen the search warrant and questioned whether the search of the tow truck was legal. There also was was no mention of Amador being read his Miranda rights or giving consent to have the truck searched, Rascia said.

Amador is a legal citizen with a family and a job, his attorney said. He has no criminal history besides a 2011 DUI, for which he successfully completed supervision. He lived in Chicago for 16 years and in Elgin for six and is no threat to anyone, nor is he a flight risk, the defense attorney said.

Calling pretrial detention draconian, Rascia said there are “reasonable conditions” Amador is capable of following during pretrial release, including home confinement and electronic monitoring.

“The only reason the state has [for pretrial detention] is the amount of the drugs,” Rascia said.

After taking a break to review the case, Judge Cynthia Lamb ordered that Amador be detained pretrial.