Evanston man charged with disorderly conduct

Evanston resident Randall Mercer was arrested in connection with an incident last Thursday in which a man approached a 10-year-old girl on her way to Martin Luther King Jr. Laboratory School, according to a news release issued by the Evanston Police Department on Wednesday.

The man chased the girl Thursday in the 1900 block of Washington St. while screaming profanities. The student ran away from the man and took the bus to school, according to the release.

Mercer was not under the influence of alcohol or drugs, said EPD Cmdr. Jay Parrott. The student was unharmed.

After the incident was reported to school officials, EPD began an investigation and identified Mercer with the help of the student’s description. The 32-year-old was arrested Monday and charged with disorderly conduct. He is scheduled to appear in court Oct. 30.

Unknown person attempts to steal a car

An unknown offender attempted to steal a car parked on the 500 block of Emerson St. but was ultimately unsuccessful.

The person damaged the steering column of the 1996 Chevrolet Blazer, but, for unknown reasons, did not proceed to steal the car, Parrott said. The attempted auto theft occurred sometime between 10:30 p.m. Monday and 9 a.m. Tuesday.

The car belongs to a 26-year-old Evanston resident who reported damages to her car.

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