Man accused of smashing car windows with rocks downtown charged

CHICAGO (WLS) -- A man has been charged after police said he was smashing car windows with rocks downtown.

Patrick Newton, 29, was taken into custody at about 10:37 a.m. Thursday in the 800-block of South Wells Street after police said he was identified as the person who was smashing into cars in the area minutes earlier.

Newton has been charged with five felony counts of criminal damage to property and two misdemeanor counts of criminal damage to property, police said Friday.

WATCH: Raw video of cars vandalized in Loop parking garage

Officers found 17 vehicles with their rear windshields shattered at a parking garage in the Loop Wednesday, making it the second such incident in three days, Chicago police said.

Earlier Thursday, 17 cars were damaged in similar fashion in a Loop parking garage and cars were also damaged at two other parking garages earlier in the week. Police said those incidents remain under investigation.