Police announced they have identified, arrested and charged a 35-year-old man who was wanted for committing graffiti vandalism in the downtown Antioch area.
The Antioch Police Department said last Tuesday that they were asking for the community’s help in identifying an individual responsible for recent graffiti vandalism in the downtown area.
Surveillance video from the evening of August 10 captured the subject walking through a parking lot and spray painting a symbol in black on a white structure.
Antioch Deputy Police Chief Charles Smith said several acts of vandalism occurred.
All of the incidents involved graffiti and occurred in alleys and on the sides of downtown buildings.
Smith said the video released showed the suspect spray-painting a recognizable symbol associated with a gang.
A total of four buildings were damaged by graffiti.
Police say they were working closely with downtown business partners and reviewing surveillance footage from both company-owned and privately owned cameras to identify those responsible.
The Antioch Police Department announced on Monday that it has charged a 35-year-old Lake Villa resident in connection with the string of graffiti incidents.
Officers obtained video evidence linking the suspect to the graffiti through the use of the village’s public safety surveillance network, along with numerous privately owned cameras shared by the community.
A vehicle description was obtained and detectives used the village’s Flock Safety license plate recognition (LPR) system to track the vehicle and identify its registered owner.
The Lake Villa Police Department assisted and investigators were able to identify the offender and locate his whereabouts, which led to him being charged with four counts of criminal damage to property.
Antioch Police Chief Geoffrey Guttschow said the village has made significant investments in public safety technology, including expanding its surveillance video camera network and Flock license plate camera network.
“This case demonstrates how these tools, combined with support from our community and strong partnerships with neighboring agencies, lead to swift and effective results,” Guttschow said.
“While some may view graffiti as a minor nuisance, it has a real impact on businesses, property owners, and the sense of safety in our community. Whether gang-related or not, we take these offenses seriously because Antioch deserves a safe, clean, and welcoming environment,” he added.
The Antioch Police Department said it remains committed to working with community partners, local businesses and neighboring law enforcement agencies to maintain a “safe and welcoming environment” for residents and visitors.