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Church Worker Catches Vandals In Web
Swartz: 'It Makes You Sick To Your Stomach'
POSTED: 6:40 pm CDT May 26,
2006
UPDATED: 7:43 pm CDT May 26,
2006
CHICAGO -- A woman who runs a church center used a popular Web site to help apprehend some vandals who allegedly destroyed a church center.
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Brenda Swartz, executive director of the Concordia Avondale Campus, said she used the Web site MySpace.com to find the alleged vandals.
"They had spray-painted their gang names on the walls," Swartz said. "So we used that as a starting point as far as doing a search with their names on MySpace."Using the site, Swartz said she discovered images such as active gang members sharing photos and using their real names."Their names, their addresses, how old they are, where they go to school," Swartz said. "A lot of personal information is right there on the Web."Piecing together some potential suspects led police to several teenagers, including four juveniles. As one appeared in court, nearly two dozen community members were at the hearing, NBC5's Rob Elgas reported.Police said the vandals broke into the facility and tore it apart. Swartz said the vandals poured buckets of paint down the toilets."It makes you sick to your stomach," Swartz said. "When you've put so much into opening a new center."Despite more than $30,000 in damage, the center will open on time. The campus will provide child care and education for 100 families.
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Brenda Swartz, executive director of the Concordia Avondale Campus, said she used the Web site MySpace.com to find the alleged vandals.
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