Community reports more gang-related graffiti

Evanston Police Department has received reports of three new instances of potentially gang-related graffiti, following three cases last week.

Main Foods at 835 Main St. reported emblems associated with criminal group the Gangster Disciples sprayed on the building sometime between Feb. 19 at 6 p.m. and Wednesday at 7 a.m., EPD Cmdr. Jay Parrott said. The graffiti included pitchforks and black and blue spray paint, which are the colors of the Gangster Disciples, Parrott said.

EPD received two additional reports of gang-related graffiti on Saturday. Vandals used black spray paint to paint an image of a face with a five-point crown on cinder-block wall of a business in the 2400 block of Main Street. The image might be a symbol of the Latin Kings gang, Parrott said. On Saturday evening, vandals used blue paint to spray the entrance sign at James Park, 320 Dodge Ave., with the label SGD, referring to Spanish Gangster Disciples, Parrott said. Street gangs have been known to frequent James Park before, he added.

EPD believes the new incidents are unrelated, Parrott said. Police do not know if these incidents are connected to previous gang-related graffiti incidents.

Strongarm robbery outside Howard CTA station 

A woman allegedly punched another woman — believed to be homeless — several times and took her bag Saturday morning in south Evanston.

The robbery victim, 41, reportedly exited Howard Street CTA station at midnight Saturday. She was looking for shelter when another woman approached her and offered her a ride, Parrott said. When the woman declined the ride, the driver offered to let her sleep in the vehicle. After waking at approximately 8 a.m. Saturday morning, the two women apparently got into an argument. The woman with the car allegedly punched the victim in the mouth, head and back and then fled the scene in her vehicle with the victim’s bag.

— Ciara McCarthy

View Feb. 26 in a larger map