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Alderman’s ward office vandalized for 3rd time this year, 3 caught on video throwing bricks through window

A Southwest Side alderman reported vandalism against his ward office for the third time this year late Thursday, on top of an attack on his home this summer.

This time, a group was caught on camera breaking a window of Ald. Raymond Lopez’s 15th Ward office in the Brighton Park neighborhood.

Lopez posted a surveillance video of the attack on Twitter and called on the public to help identify the people who are shown running away after throwing bricks at the office, 2736 W. 47th St.

Though he said he is uncertain of the reason for the attack, Ald. Lopez believes it is gang-related and the attackers were seeking to retaliate for his efforts to target troubled buildings and a recent arrest of a local gang leader.

“These gang members are desperate to keep the control in the neighborhood by any means and now they are feeling that they are feeling pressured, they’re trying to push me to the corner,” he said in a phone interview.

Someone threw a brick through the front window of an office at 2700 block of West 47th Street about 10:40 p.m. Thursday, police said in a media notification. The surveillance video Lopez released appears to show three young men come up to the alderman’s office and throw something at the windows. All appear to be wearing hooded sweatshirts and masks, one in all-dark clothing, one in a dark hooded sweatshirt or jacket with a large white stripe down the side and on the sleeves, with a light gray stripe on the sleeves, and the third in dark pants and a light-blue sweatshirt or jacket.

A witness saw three males running away from the scene, but police released no further description.

Lopez said that neighbors called the police after they heard loud noises and noticed unusual activity in the area.

In the summer, Lopez reported two other attacks to his ward office and one to his home, each time saying that gang members in the area intended to intimidate him for his work to dismantle them.

In the two previous attacks on his ward office, the windows were also shattered, costing an estimated $6,000 to repair, he said. Lopez also spent another $2,000 on damages to his home and his neighbors’ garage after it was set on fire by a group of males who also threw a brick in his front window.

Lopez, who represents parts of the Back of the Yards, Gage Park and West Englewood neighborhoods, has repeatedly said he has received threats from gang members through social media.

According to Lopez, all of the attacks follow the same pattern and he said that he is collaborating with the police to identify those responsible.

Chicago police confirmed they are investigating.

Larodriguez@chicagotribune.com