Convicted felon charged with vandalizing firefighters' cars outside CFD stations: court documents

CHICAGO (WLS) -- A convicted felon is accused of using an ax to vandalize Chicago firefighters' vehicles, according to officials and court documents.

Jacob Bogdan, a 26-year-old Chicago man, has been charged with two felony counts of damage to government property and 19 counts of criminal damage to personal property.

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Police arrested him on Saturday in the 200-Block of West Cermak Road in Chinatown.

Bogdan is accused of damaging property at the following locations and times:

• 200-block of W. Cermak Road on Feb. 5


• 100-block of E. Pershing Road on March 16


• 100-block of E. Pershing Road on April 6


• 100-block of W. 59th Street. on April 10

PREVIOUS COVERAGE | Ax-wielding man vandalizes firefighters' cars days after vehicles hit near other station: union rep

This comes after a Chicago Firefighters Union rep told ABC7 that a man wielding an ax damaged seven personal vehicles, parked in front of the Englewood fire station at East 59th and South State streets, on Friday.

The rep said 12 other member vehicles were also damaged on Monday at another fire station, near East Pershing Road and South Wabash Avenue, in the city's Bronzeville neighborhood.

According to court records, Bogdan got into a city lot and damaged six city of Chicago pool cars and three ambulances on September 1, 2023.

He was charged with Criminal Damage to Government Property, and in 2024, he was sentenced to two years in Illinois Department of Corrections prison.

Bogdan told police that he "has problems with firefighters," court documents say. He alleged that he carried an ax for protection from firefighters.

Bogdan was ordered detained pending trial. He is due back in court on April 17.

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