Darien Tire Slashing Suspect Not Charged: Police

DARIEN, IL – A man who is suspected of slashing the tires of three cars at a Darien apartment complex has not been charged yet, according to a police report.

About 6 a.m. April 13, police were called to the 7400 block of Brookdale Drive. A person walking by the cars in the complex's parking lot heard air escaping from tires.

Through a public records request, Patch obtained the police report on the incident.

Driving a Honda Civic, the suspect, a 45-year-old Chicago man, was stopped in Willowbrook. He was taken to the Hinsdale hospital because he was feeling sick, police said.

The man was suspected of slashing all four tires of a 2019 Jeep, a 2011 Toyota RAV4 and a 2015 Nissan van, the report said.

The victims told officers they did not know the suspect, police said.

In the man's car, police found a 12-gauge shotgun, ammunition and a black MTech knife, according to the report.

An officer got approval from a DuPage County prosecutor for a felony charge of unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon, police said. The officer was told that a further investigation was needed before charges of criminal damage to property were filed.

The officer was later informed by the prosecutor that a deputy chief in the State's Attorney's Office revoked approval of the firearm charge until the suspect was interviewed, the report said.

Meanwhile, a nurse told the police she did not know when the suspect would be released from the hospital, the report said.

The police department said it would file a "clear and present danger" form for the suspect with the state police. The state police would then determine whether the man poses a danger to himself and others by having a gun.

Editor's note: An original version of this story incorrectly said the Darien deputy police chief revoked approval of the firearm charge. It was a deputy chief in the DuPage County State's Attorney's Office that made that decision, according to the police department.