Tuesday Blotter: Swarm of Vandalism; Robbery at Train Stop

Robbery at Skokie Swift

Two 19-year-old teens patted down and mugged two juveniles for $2 and their cell phones on March 4 around 9 p.m. Police arrested Trenton Mathis of the 8900 block of Bronx Avenue and Steven Little of the 4900 block of Enfield Avenue on charges of strong-armed robbery as well as possession of marijuana.

Mathis and Little had asked the victims if they wanted to buy some “weed,” but the juveniles declined, citing their lack of interest for the drug as their reason. And while the victims were attacked, they did manage to notify police.

Officers arrived moments later and apprehended the suspects. After the arrest, police found more than 3 grams of marijuana on the two men who were positively identified by the victims. Their court date is March 14.

Mailbox attacker arrested

Police responded to the 7800 block of East Prairie Road regarding a man attempting to break into a nearby house on March 4 around 3 a.m.

When police arrived on the scene, they saw Jordan A. Barnes, 22, of the 7600 block of East Prairie Road, walking southbound in the general area. Officers asked Barnes to stop, at which point he turned around, clenched his fists and began skipping toward police as if he was going to attack them, according to the report.

Police ordered Barnes to lie down on the ground and he ultimately complied. Police said the suspect had a strong odor of alcohol on his breath and thought he was possibly intoxicated, according to the report.

Barnes damaged several mailboxes in the area, and one of the victims saw him  “kicking and pulling a wooden mailbox on the ground.”  Another told police he saw Barnes pull his metallic mailbox from the ground. All in all, the value of both mailboxes was about $600. Both victims said they would sign criminal complaints against Barnes.

Barnes was charged with one count of criminal damage to property. His court date is on March 24  in courtroom 103.

Stereo stolen from minivan

A stereo system valued at more than $500 was stolen from a minivan parked at Old Orchard Mall on March 6. According to the report, the driver’s side window was smashed in to gain access.

Window smashed, antenna stolen

A vehicle parked in the 5000 block of Jerome Avenue was vandalized on Feb. 28 around 2 a.m. According to the report, the rear driver’s side window was smashed in and an antenna to the vehicle was also taken. The victim estimated the damage at $1,500.

Car burglary nets $2,600 in electronics

Several high-end electronics were stolen from a vehicle parked at Village Crossing shopping center on March 2 around 9 p.m. According to the report, a MacBook Pro, Puma messenger bag and Amazon Kindle were stolen from the vehicle. Access was gain by smashing in the passenger's side window. The value of the items was estimated at $2,600.

Car vandalized at library

A car parked at the Skokie Public Library had its tires deflated and passenger side mirror broken on March 4 around 4 p.m. According to the report, the victim did not know why anyone would have committed the act.