Libertyville drivers office closed Wednesday for vandalism repairs

Customers wanting to get their licenses renewed or conduct other business at the secretary of state facility in Libertyville are being diverted to other locations for at least another day as authorities investigate a potential act of vandalism and make repairs.

Employees arriving for work Tuesday at the full-service facility in the Brookside Shopping Center, 342 Peterson Road, discovered two large windows of the storefront office broken. Police responded to the report at 6:46 a.m.

Large rocks were thrown through the glass and a blunt instrument was used to destroy several computers, printers and a keyboard inside the facility, according to Dave Druker, press secretary for Secretary of State Jesse White. Police said some type of hammer apparently was used to damage the equipment.

The extent, type of damage and what, if anything, was taken were being investigated by Libertyville and Secretary of State police.

“It looks like an act of vandalism,” said Druker.

No one was in custody Tuesday evening. The office is expected to reopen Thursday, Drucker added.

It appears no client information was stolen, he said.

“There's stuff on the computers, but given the fact damage was done to the computers, it's difficult to speculate,” he said. “We're optimistic that wasn't the reason why that occurred.”

Police are checking nearby buildings and stores for possible video surveillance and were talking with employees at the facility to determine if they were aware of anyone who was disgruntled, said Libertyville police Lt. Bill Knast.

He said it is likely was one person involved and that the intruder was jumping over counters and went from one side of the building to the other smashing equipment.

“Burglary was not on his mind,” he said. “He went in there to do damage.”

Druker added that this was an isolated case.

“There's no pattern here of other facilities being hit,” he said.

The Libertyville office is one of 28 in the Chicago area. Visitors were intercepted by authorities at the scene and told to go to offices in Waukegan or Woodstock, which will remain the protocol on Wednesday. Those visiting for commercial license testing were sent to Elk Grove Village or Rockford.

Daughn Brumbaugh, a retired pilot from Palatine, had come to Libertyville to get a new license plate for his 1993 Ford Taurus, which had been in storage and getting repaired.

“It's a very good car, but we need new plates,” he said. “Because of the incident here, they suggest I go to Waukegan.”

Brumbaugh said he called a general number but was not informed the Libertyville facility was closed and was “shocked and surprised” when he arrived.

Candice Multerer, a saleswoman from Barrington, was on the road and stopped to renew her driver's license.

“I was out and about for work and this was the closest one,” she said.

“It shouldn't be too big of an issue. I'll probably just find another one.”