Police beat
Arlington Heights
• Burglars smashed the front glass door around 1:40 a.m. Aug. 16 at Cigarettes For Less, 504 S. Arthur Ave., smashed the 13-inch TV screen behind the cash register and stole money from the cash register, forced open the door to a backroom, smashed a 26-inch TV in the room, and stole a DVD/VCR, money from an envelope, and packs of cigarettes, police said. Value was estimated at $650.
• Burglars broke an east side window to gain entry and open drawers and cabinets around 1:20 a.m. Aug. 16 at Grandt Shell, 405 E. Northwest Hwy., police said. Officers responded to the burglar alarm, and nothing appeared to be missing, reports added. A damage estimate was not available.
• Vandals used black and red paint to spray vulgar graffiti on four slides, a railing, benches and playground equipment between 4 p.m. Aug. 15 and 6 a.m. Aug. 16 in Virginia Terrace Park, 1503 W. Thomas Ave., police said. A damage estimate was not available.
Des Plaines
•Burglars forced open the rear bedroom door to gain entry and stole a 42-inch plasma TV, laptop computer, money, and digital camera between 5 p.m. Aug. 16 and 2:05 a.m. Aug. 17 out of an apartment on the 1100 block of Holiday Lane, police said. Total value was estimated at $5,170.
Mount Prospect
• Vandals smashed the front driver's-side and passenger's-side windows around 2:55 a.m. Aug. 17 on an International truck and disconnected the cable connecting a tar tanker with a propane tank in the north parking lot at Indian Grove School, 1340 Burning Bush Lane, police said. Because the tar tanker was no longer being heated by the propane tank and the cable had been left disconnected, propane gas had been slowly leaking out into the surrounding area, reports said. An officer observed a cloud of gas coming from the propane tank and the fire department was notified, reports added. Firefighters shut off the propane tank; though the tanker was not damaged, firefighters advised that the tar might solidify inside the tanker if it were not heated within a certain period of time, reports said. Also, firefighters advised that no hazardous material was left in the area, and residents around the school grounds were not at any risk, reports added. Damage to the truck's windows was estimated at $300.
•Vandals set off two explosions around 6:30 a.m. Aug. 17, one caused a 10-inch hole near the fairway at the ninth hole at Old Orchard Country Club and the second at an unknown location, police said. A witness saw three males run away shortly after the blasts, reports added. Damage to the golf course was estimated at $250.
Wheeling
•Vandals used black and blue paint to spray graffiti on the sidewalk near playground equipment in Northside Park, 1 Glendale, police said. Damage was estimated at $50.
• Vandals spray painted graffiti on an unknown date but reported Aug. 16 on an exterior wall near entrance No. 24 at London Middle School, 1001 W. Dundee Road, police said. A damage estimate was not available.