By Chris Caraveo
Cholla Park (Photo courtesy Google Maps)
Glendale police seek the public's assistance as they investigate several incidents at a local park.
Cholla Park, near 51st Avenue and Cactus Road, has been the site of increased criminal activity in and around the area, according to a Nextdoor post by the Glendale Police Department.
The following incidents have occurred since near the end of February.
- Criminal Damage:
17-26528 - from Feb. 21 to 22 at 6 a.m., someone cut the chains off the tables in the ramada, moved and burned them, pulled sticks out of where they were holding trees up and broke them off causing $600 in damage;
- 17-31057 - March 3 between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m., someone set a bunch of toilet paper on fire in the men’s bathroom;
- 17-40114 - March 20 at 7 a.m., someone used black spray paint on north wall of the racquet ball court to paint graffiti;
- 17-40458 - March 20 at 9 p.m., someone painted graffiti on the racquet ball court with “F***” & “SUK 12;”
- 17-41142 - between March 21 at 9:30 a.m. and March 22 at 6:30 a.m., someone ripped up all the rubber coating off the playground pad causing over $5,000 in damage;
- 17-41752 - March 23 at 8:45 a.m., after parks replaced the rubber coating that was damaged and put up a fence, someone pried open the fence and ripped up the new rubber coating causing the damage all over again.
Along with the criminal damages, signs of juvenile drug activity were found, including seals and baggies with residue, what appears to be items handed over by cars driving by for short period of time and juveniles caught smoking. There have also been reports of juveniles causing or playing excessive noise and/or music, and using profanity and aggressive behavior towards younger kids playing in the area.
Cholla Park is next to Desert Palms Elementary School, part of the Peoria Unified School District.
If you have any information on these incidents please contact the Glendale Police Non-Emergency line at 623-930-3000 and reference the report number. If you see a crime in progress please call 911, have as much information as possible about the description of subjects involved and request contact with the responding officer.
