Aurora police are investigating more than a dozen reports of vandalism that have occurred on the far East and far Southeast sides of the city, the department wrote in a Facebook post.
Police say they are investigating 14 vandalism reports in that area in late December and early January, mostly caused by unknown people shooting out vehicle windows with a pellet or BB gun. Three residences and one business have also been hit, and three mailboxes have been damaged with a blunt object, police said in the Facebook post.
Most of the vehicles targeted were parked on streets or in town-home parking lots, according to police. Eleven of the crimes happened in the DuPage and Will county areas of Aurora, according to police.
The vandalism includes a car window damaged between 9 p.m. Dec. 27 and 8:50 a.m. Dec. 28 on the 1200 block of Terrace View Drive; a car window damaged between 1 p.m. Dec. 29 and 7 a.m. Dec. 30 on the 1100 block of Symphony Drive; a car window and town-home siding damaged between 6 p.m. Dec. 29 and 11 a.m. Dec. 30 on the 2500 block of Congress Avenue, where vandals returned between 9 p.m. Jan. 9 and 4 a.m. Jan. 10 and shot out another car window; three mailboxes damaged between 8 a.m. Dec. 20 and the same time the next day on the 3000 and 3100 blocks of Coastal Drive; a town-home window damaged between 1 and 9 a.m. Jan. 1 on the 1300 block of Normantown Road; a commercial vehicle damaged by pellets as it was pulling into a parking lot about 5:50 p.m. Jan. 6 on the 3400 block of Liberty Street; three car windows damaged between 8 p.m. Jan. 7 and 8 a.m. Jan. 8 on the 2500 block of Dickens Drive and 2400 block of Frost Drive; two windows of an office building damaged between noon Jan. 2 and Monday on the 1200 block of Waterford Drive; and the window of a home damaged about 8:50 p.m. Monday on the 2400 block of Sagamore Court, according to police.
The vandalism has apparently been taking place late at night or during overnight hours, according to police.
A small black vehicle, like a Honda Civic or CRX, may be involved, according to police, who included no other suspect description.
“Because of their nature, these crimes can be difficult to solve but that does not mean they are impossible,” the department wrote in the Facebook post. “Always be on the lookout for any suspicious vehicles or people in your neighborhood and if you see anything, please call 911 immediately. Please don’t adopt the attitude of ‘it’s probably nothing’ or ‘the police have better things to do.’ “
Victims should immediately report damage and, to preserve evidence, should avoid touching property until police say it’s OK, according to the Facebook post.
Police ask anyone with information about the incidents to call Aurora police investigators at 630-256-5500 or Aurora Area Crime Stoppers at 630-892-1000. Callers to Crime Stoppers can remain anonymous and qualify for a reward of up to $5,000 for information that leads to any arrests.
People also can submit tips through the Aurora Police Department’s free My PD mobile app.
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