Man charged after Chicago firefighters' personal vehicles are damaged at multiple sites ordered held
A man charged with damaging vehicles belonging to several Chicago firefighters on Chicago's South Side will remain in jail following his bond hearing on Sunday.
Jacob Bogdan, 26, of the Englewood neighborhood, was charged with two felony counts of criminal damage to government property and 19 felony counts of criminal damage to property.
According to prosecutors, Bogdan damaged the garage windows of firehouses as well as the vehicles of the firefighters in four incidents between February and April.
The first incident occurred just before 5:30 a.m. on Feb. 5, when Bogdan walked to the CPD firehouse at 212 W Cermak, where he struck the windows attached to the east garage doors with an unknown object, breaking all six windows. He then broke a red light on the right side of the garage door and broke all six windows on the west garage door before leaving the scene on foot. The total amount of damages was $3,600.
Then, around 1:00 p.m. on March 16, prosecutors said that he walked to a CFD firehouse at 53 E Pershing Rd., where he used a one-foot metal bolt to break each window on all three firehouse garage doors, causing $20,000 in damage. He, again, left on foot but left the metal bolt behind, not far from the damaged garage.
On April 6, just before 1 a.m., prosecutors said that Bogdan walked back to the same firehouse on Pershing Road, this time entering into a fenced-off area where CFD personnel park their personal cars.
According to prosecutors, he took an axe and damaged the hoods and windows of 12 cars parked in the lot, causing $75,689.00 in damages. He once again left the scene on foot.
The most recent incident happened on Friday, when he walked into a third firehouse's parking lot at 21 W 59th St., once again using an axe, damaged the hoods and windows of seven cars parked in the lot, causing $32,580 in damages.
During the incident, a CFD firefighter approached the station and his damaged car before chasing Bogdan away, prosecutors said.
All four incidents were captured on surveillance footage. Prosecutors said that a search was generated, and Bogdan was identified as the suspect. He was identified by the firefighter who chased him off and taken into custody on Saturday in the 200 block of West Cermak Road
Bogdan appeared for a detention hearing in Cook County Criminal Court on Sunday. He was ordered held until his status hearing on Friday.
The video above is from a previous report.