Crime & Safety

Angry Old Man Threatens to Stab 'Lazy' Neighbor in Heart With Broken Rake: Cops

The angry old man wanted his neighbor to help him pick up downed tree branches outside their condo building, police said.

An angry old Orland Park man threatened to stab his neighbor in the heart with a broken rake handle because the younger man would not help him pick up tree branches outside their condo building, police said.

The angry old man, Wayne Prychocki, 67, of 15315 Treetop Drive, reportedly confronted cops called to his home, telling an officer to "Get off (his) f---ing property."

The officer told Prychocki to "relax" and asked him "numerous times what the problem was but he was irate and would only scream at me," police said.

A 28-year-old neighbor then emerged from the condo and told police how Prychocki menaced him with a rake handle over his reluctance to help him do yard work.

The younger man told how Prychocki wanted him to help pick up broken tree branches but that he couldn't lend the old man a hand because he had to take care of his baby, according to a police report, which noted that residents of the condo pay fees so other people can do things like pick up tree branches for them.

Later, when the younger man was helping his wife and mother-in-law get the baby in the car for a doctor's appointment, "Prychocki approached (him) and began yelling at him," police said.

"Prychocki called (the neighbor) 'lazy' for not helping with the yard work when his wife and mother-in-law were at home to care for the baby," police said. "Prychocki became louder and increasingly aggressive so (the neighbor) instructed his wife and mother-in-law to leave."

Prychocki then "began poking (the neighbor) in the chest and was yelling, 'I'll kick your ass,'" police said.

The neighbor and another resident who came outside to see what all the commotion was about then looked on as "Prychocki took a wooden rake and threw it against the building, causing it to break in two pieces," police said.

"Prychocki took the handle portion, which was approximately two feet long with a pointed end, and approached" his neighbor, police said. "Prychocki held the pointed end approximately two feet from (his neighbor's) chest and yelled he would stab (him) in the 'heart' and watch him 'bleed to death.'"

The neighbor then backed away and went inside, police said.

The neighbor reportedly told an officer he was "not going to call the police because Prychocki is an old man but he decided to call because Prychocki has mistreated other neighbors numerous times in the past. He becomes upset and belligerent with other residents in the building when he doesn't like something they do."

Prychocki admitted to breaking the rake but denied threatening his neighbor, police said, and then he lost it once more.

"He became irate again and began yelling about his neighbors being lazy," police said.

Prychocki was reportedly taken into custody and driven to the police station.

Go take a look at our Facebook page.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

To request removal of your name from an arrest report, submit these required items to arrestreports@patch.com.