Boys wreak havoc with fire extinguisher, break window

Five youths sprayed a fire extinguisher around the laundry room of an Evanston apartment building and broke a window Tuesday, police said.

A resident of the building on the 1300 block of Brummel Street saw the boys, who she said looked about 13 years old, spraying the extinguisher at 7:59 p.m., said Evanston Police Department Cmdr. Tom Guenther. The youths fled, then came back a half-hour later and threw the extinguisher at a window, breaking it, police said.

Because police did not get a good description of the boys’ appearances, they have no suspects, Guenther said. A detective will continue to investigate.

Man’s laptop vanishes from table on third floor of Evanston Public LibrarySomeone stole a man’s $750 laptop from the Evanston Public Library, 1703 Orrington Ave., after he left it on a table Tuesday, police said.

The owner said he left the laptop on a table on the third floor and walked away for about five minutes, Guenther said. Police interviewed library patrons sitting nearby, but those in the general area said they had not seen the theft or noticed anyone suspicious.

Police are working with library security staff, and the investigation is ongoing, Guenther said.

– Rebecca Cohen