EVANSTON — Police say they have made progress on the Roundhouse vandalism case from last week. A press release issued by the Evanston Police Department Thursday morning states that the EPD Detective Division has been working tirelessly to process the large amount of information and evidence in the case.

The press release also indicates that help received by the community has been off the charts.

“The unparalleled public outcry over this crime led to an incredible amount of community assistance in the form of tips, video sharing, social media sharing and reward gathering,” the release states.

Crime Stoppers, which facilitates anonymous tips via phone call or text message, offers rewards of up to $1,000. The City of Evanston has also offered a reward of up to $1,000, and Mike and Lauren Sims have agreed to pitch in up to $2,500 for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for the damage to the Roundhouse.

City employees discovered major damage to the Roundhouse the morning of Wednesday, Aug. 29, after vandals broke several large windows near the main entrance with large rocks. Some of the rocks went through the windows with such force that they sailed through the entire room, striking the wall near the staircase.

“The initial estimated cost of repair was more than $42,000,” according to the press release. Lt. Ken Pearson said that amount is only to replace the windows and casings and does not include the cost of labor.

Evanston City Clerk Amy Grenfell said the city initially considered using the windows and frames from the opposite side of the Roundhouse, which is undergoing a $3-million-dollar restoration. However, she said that’s unlikely to happen, even if the windows would fit the damaged side, because officials don’t want to disrupt the project’s timeline. 

Grenfell said an insurance adjuster will be on site Monday and officials should receive more information soon about repairing the damage caused by vandalism. Since the windows and frames must be specially ordered, Grenfell said there’s a six-week timeframe once ordered before they can begin the repairs. 

In the meantime, Grenfell said, the site will be secured with either boards or plastic to prevent further damage and so the Roundhouse can still be used.

City Treasurer Trudy Lym said property insurance will cover the damage, but the city will have to pay a $5,000 deductible.

Police gathered much evidence from the scene last week, including what appeared to be fingerprints and blood on the glass. Evanston Police Chief Jon Kirby said someone was substantially cut during the incident, as blood spatter was found on the broken windows and a trail of blood was traced from the Roundhouse all the way to the post office.

Pearson said evidence has been sent to the Wyoming State Crime Lab in Cheyenne, though it often takes several weeks for it to be analyzed. However, Pearson said, that evidence does not need to be processed before arrests can be made. 

“A resolution in this case will be forthcoming in the very near future,” states the press release, “with charges being filed on those persons responsible for the vandalism.”

Surveillance footage taken from the alley behind NGL Connection in downtown Evanston showed two individuals on bicycles riding through the alley at 3:58 a.m. the morning of the incident. Pearson said they are persons of interest and Crime Stoppers of Southwest Wyoming posted the footage to its Facebook page, where it was highly viewed and shared. 

“The Evanston Police Department would like to express their sincere gratitude towards the community of Evanston for their unprecedented participation with sharing of valuable information concerning this case,” states the press release.

Those with information about the case can provide anonymous tips by calling Crime Stoppers at (307) 789-CASH or by sending a text message to (307) 708-CASH. Those with information can also call the Evanston Police Department at (307) 783-6400 or reach dispatch after business hours at (307) 783-1000.