Two men reportedly take construction materials from SPAC

Two men have repeatedly been taking scrap materials from a construction project at the Sports Pavilion and Aquatics Center, police said.

A contractor working at SPAC, 2311 Campus Drive, told police that every day at 7:30 a.m., two men in an older two-tone Chevrolet truck pull up to the loading dock and load scrap materials into their vehicle, said University Police Deputy Chief Dan McAleer.

The day he reported it, the witness saw an approximately 5-foot-8-inch, heavy-set man enter the loading dock door Wednesday at 7:30 a.m. and return outside with a roll of copper fabric.

The man quickly got into the truck, which another man drove, and left the area.

Police are following up with SPAC administrators to determine if the stolen materials belong to someone or if they are discarded scrap materials. One employee believed the fabric taken Wednesday may belong to the Northwestern fencing team but was unsure, McAleer said.

Bike-riding thieves rob pedestrian on Wednesday night

Three men on bicycles robbed a male victim Wednesday evening, police said.

The bikers, who wore dark clothing, approached the victim in the 1700 block of Lake Street.

One suspect wearing a mask covering half his face asked the victim if there was anything in his pockets, said Evanston Police Cmdr. Tom Guenther.

The victim surrendered his cell phone to the men, who then pedaled away, Guenther said.

Police are investigating.

– GRACE JOHNSON