Police Blotter: Taggers Take Their Toll; Boxed and Bagged

Taggers Take Toll

Oak Lawn police found what they described as "gang-type lettering" spray painted on three commercial properties located on the 5700 block of West 95th Street, including Oak Lawn Restaurant, Rusty Nail and Computer Service Center. The tagging was found between 10:15 a.m. and 11:50 a.m. Police were unable to connect the graffiti with a specific gang.

Boxed and Bagged

An employee arriving to open a gas station on the 10100 block of South Cicero Avenue around 6:45 p.m. noticed a cardboard box of loose change and a money bag containing $5,200 missing from the business. A surveillance video showed a man passing by the rear door and then prying it open. The man pried the door open and then walked directly to the sales counter. He opened several doors to carry out the loot.

Artiste

While checking the creek area at 9900 Menard, police spotted a man and two women sitting by a cement wall with a pack of oil paints and brushes. Police asked what the three were doing and they replied, “Just hanging out,” reports said. Noticing the freshly painted red wall, police asked who painted it. Police said the man told him he was the only one of the three who had been painting. Conor Smith, 18, of the 6400 block of West 92nd Street, was cited with a village ordinance violation for criminal damage to property. Police said no gang graffiti or obscene language had been painted on the wall.