Three Orland Park men were charged Thursday with felony criminal damage to property after they were caught slashing and trashing seven Toyotas at the Chicago Auto Show, authorities said.
Richard Data, 20, Edmund Grzeszkiewicz, 27, and [Name Removed], 22, were arrested around 10 p.m. Wednesday at McCormick Place, 2301 S. Lake Shore Dr.
McCormick Place security detained the men after they were spotted damaging the interior of a blue Toyota Camry with flathead screwdrivers and razor knives, according to a police report.
Six other Toyota vehicles, including a Prius, Land Cruiser and RAV4 also suffered damage.
The vandalism was recorded by McCormick Place surveillance cameras, police said.
The $30,000 worth of damage included scratched windshields, sliced seats and speakers cut open.
In a statement, Toyota said it was saddened by the incident and said the vehicles would be replaced.
"Toyota has gone to great lengths this year to bring its biggest and best exhibit ever to the Chicago Auto Show, and these irresponsible actions do nothing but deny show visitors the opportunity to see our full complement of cars and trucks," said Toyota spokesman Curt McAllister in a written statement.
Unconfirmed reports indicated the men acted out because they were angry about jobs going overseas. Police aren't commenting on the motive.
| Full Coverage: 2011 Chicago Auto Show |
