Vandals strike Palatine neighborhood

Either an army of rabid raccoons is on the loose or a destructive vandal took to the streets of Palatine's Heatherlea neighborhood early Wednesday.

Residents on Old Bridge Road, Timberland Drive and other area streets woke up to find trash and yard waste strewed about front lawns, their garbage and recycling bins knocked over.

"The whole subdivision got nailed," said Wes Dorszewski, whose wife saw the mess before leaving for work. "Everybody thinks it must have been a guy with a truck plowing into everything."

Palatine police Cmdr. Kurt Schroeder said a call came in at 6:09 a.m. about the vandalism. Residents chose not to file a formal report and police don't have any idea who's responsible. The incident was isolated, he added.

One neighbor reported hearing a loud commotion around 4 a.m., but didn't investigate the sound.

Dorszewski said cleanup efforts got underway immediately, with some helping an elderly widow who lives on the block.

"Somebody had some fun with this and it wasn't pleasant to see," he said. "But it was nice to see it kind of bring neighbors together."