A man has been detained by police after allegedly using an axe to damage firefighters’ vehicles throughout Chicago. The spree ended on the very Chinatown block where it started.
The Chicago Police Department (CPD) reported the arrest of 26-year-old Jacob Bogdan on Saturday at the 200 block of West Cermak Road, a location known for its appearance in the 1991 film Backdraft. The arrest occurred shortly after the department issued a public alert regarding the vandalism incidents.
Bogdan faces 21 felony charges for criminal damage to property and is expected to attend a detention hearing on Sunday.
According to authorities, the series of events began at 5:22 a.m. on February 5 when a man with an axe attacked vehicles parked outside the Chinatown firehouse at 212 West Cermak Road. The spree continued with two more incidents at a CFD station on 53 East Pershing Road and another at the 21 West 59th Street firehouse.
Footage published by Chicago Contrarian captured a man using an axe to smash vehicle windows. Despite internal CPD bulletins dated April 7 containing clear images of the suspect, these were not included in the public alert.
The police have not disclosed a motive for these acts, and fortunately, no injuries have been reported.
Court records reveal that Bogdan previously received a two-year sentence for damaging government property in Chicago in 2024, though details of that case are not immediately accessible.
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