Burglar stole brass urinal fittings at U of C, causing floods and elevator damage, prosecutors say

CHICAGO — You’ve heard the phrase, “Individuals will steal something that’s not nailed down.” As insatiable shoppers of Chicago police report narratives, we will verify the phrase is true. 

Exhibit A: William Garner. He’s accused of stealing brass fittings from urinals on the College of Chicago and inflicting vital injury by releasing torrents of water from the compromised pipes.

College of Chicago cops detained the 60-year-old on September 14 and referred to as in Chicago cops to assist. In response to CPD’s report, the varsity’s police division had safety footage exhibiting Garner strolling on a closed ground of 1 faculty constructing. The photographs allegedly confirmed Garner strolling out of restrooms, adopted moments later by a river of water.

When U of C officers stopped Garner, they allegedly discovered 5 brass urinal flush valves and a pipe wrench inside his bag. In response to the report, Garner had simply taken three of the fittings from the varsity’s 128-year-old Cobb Corridor, 5811 South Ellis, and water was nonetheless flowing from the urinals.

He allegedly stole the opposite two fittings from one of many faculty’s medical buildings within the 5700 block of South Maryland.

Within the medical constructing, flood waters poured into an elevator shaft, compromising the carry’s electrical elements, the report stated.

The varsity estimated the price of every urinal becoming at $300 and the price of elevator repairs at between $5,000 and $8,000.

Prosecutors charged Garner with two counts of housebreaking and two counts of possessing housebreaking instruments. However they didn’t ask a choose to detain him, so Garner was despatched dwelling to await trial.

Courtroom data present he didn’t attend courtroom on September 23, and a warrant is now out for his arrest.

This isn’t Garner’s first run-in with the varsity.

In 2017, he acquired a 14-month sentence for stealing a motorbike that was locked to a rack on the varsity’s campus. In 2018, he was sentenced to a few years for trying to interrupt right into a kitchen at Cobb Corridor.

Authentic reporting you’ll see nowhere else, paid for by our readers. Click on right here to assist our work.