Elgin police charged two more men in connection to a lawsuit aimed at keeping gang members from associating with one another.

They are scheduled to appear March 16 in the Elgin branch court.

Just before 11 p.m. Friday, officers in the department’s Gang Unit saw three people loitering near Bent and Grace streets. Police recognized two of them as 19-year-olds Edgar Maldonado and Fabian Pena, both of Elgin.

Officers knew Maldonado and Pena to be gang members and part of a lawsuit that bars them and other members from being together.

The Kane County State’s Attorney’s Office and the Elgin Police Department Gang Unit sued about 70 gang members in fall 2010, using the 1993 Illinois Street Gang Terrorism Omnibus Prevention Act. The lawsuit states gang members cannot associate with other known gang members, and allows for arrest and misdemeanor charges if they do.

Police said Pena saw the officers and ran away, but was caught hiding in the back yard in the 500 block of Raymond Street.

Both face misdemeanor counts of unlawful contact with a street gang member. Pena is also charged with obstructing a police officer. They were both released on bail.

Pena and Maldonado are the third and fourth arrests in Elgin since the lawsuit was filed. Earlier this month, police made the first arrests.

In that incident, Jonathan Castenada, 20 and Leo Perez, 19, both of Elgin, were found together in a car during a traffic stop. Each were charged with misdemeanor unlawful contact with a street gang member.