Man Charged with Stealing Blackhawks Banners

With a ladder and wire cutters in tow, a south suburban man went to the Loop early Friday and was caught trying to steal two Chicago Blackhawks banners from the lamp posts outside of City Hall, police said.

Russell Marcordes, 46, of Oak Forest, was seen on camera in the incident and is charged with misdemeanor theft, according to a release from police News Affairs.

An officer monitoring the video cameras at City Hall saw Marcordes climb a ladder at West Washington and North Clark streets and cut the wires from the banner on a lamp post to steal the banner about 3 a.m. Friday, the release said.

The officer alerted officers on the street as he continued to monitor Marcordes, who then went to another lamp post at North LaSalle and West Randolph streets before returning to his vehicle, the release said.

Marcordes was stopped in the 100 block of North LaSalle Street where the banners were recovered and he was taken into custody, the release said.

Police learned Marcordes drove by the banners Thursday afternoon and returned to the scene for the crime with the ladder and wire cutters, the release said.

He is scheduled to appear in court on June 28, the release said.