HAPPY-ENDING CRIME STORIES

 
I gave Livingstone, a tenant, a break on his rent because he called the police after he saw a thief stealing leaded-glass windows from the building entrance. I appreciated Livingstone’s civic involvement. Livingstone was nosy. That’s a good thing.

Two leaded-glass sidelights flanking the front door

Then a vandal scrawled graffiti on a front door. Livingstone wasn’t around. (Different building.) The building manager knew the graffiti “artist.” She even knew his phone number. My manager personally knows this derelict? The tagger hung out at a skaters’ coffeehouse, as did my manager, and had a very recognizable tag.

I phoned the graffiti kid and hung up. What if he was a loony? Let the cops handle it. Then the kid called me. “You just called,” he said.

I hate that.

The Lakewood cops found the graffiti guy and made him clean up the door. His mom helped. The kid was in high school. I didn’t press charges; he and his mom did a good job cleaning the door.

Back to the leaded-glass thief . . . He was caught, primarily due to Livingstone’s accurate ID. The thief sold the windows to an antiques store. He was eventually charged with aggravated burglary and grand theft. He didn’t do any jail time. He paid restitution to me.