$10,000 bail for man charged with drawing swastikas on Buena Park homes

Bail was set at $10,000 Friday for a man facing hate crime charges after he allegedly drew swastikas on the property of two of his Jewish neighbors in the North Side Buena Park neighborhood.

Heath Levey, 51, is charged with two felony counts of hate crime and three misdemeanor counts of criminal defacement of property in connection with two separate incidents in the 800 block of West Hutchinson, according to Cook County prosecutors.

In both cases, authorities say Levey, who lives less than a block away, was captured on home video surveillance making movements near the homes around the time the graffiti was discovered.

On Nov. 2, a 65-year-old man who lives in the block was taking his dog for a walk when he saw Levey also walking his dog in the block, prosecutors said. As the man walked his dog, he saw Levey stop by a brick pillar that supports a fence in front of his home. When the man began walking back, Levey left and the man found a swastika and the letters “CIA” written on the pillar in blue chalk.

Five days later, a 67-year-old woman also lives in the block reported finding a swastika and the letters “CIA” and “FU” written on the back gate and garage of her home, prosecutors said. The woman had previously talked to Levey on multiple occasions while they were walking their dogs in the neighborhood and was able to identify him from her home’s video surveillance as a person seen “making movements” by the back gate.

Prosecutors said Levey has prior convictions for criminal damage to property and assault in another case involving that involved a resident of the neighborhood. In that case, Levey was seen in November 2016 stomping around a woman’s yard on North Hazel Street and then threatened her when he saw her watching him. He has also been convicted of narcotics possession.

Levey received probation in both cases, which he completed satisfactorily, prosecutors said.

Levey is a former Marine who was honorably discharged and has lived in Chicago for the last 25 years, his assistant public defender said in court. He is not currently employed.

Judge David Navarro set Levey’s bail at $10,000 and ordered him to have no contact with witnesses in the case and to submit to electronic monitoring.

His next court date was scheduled for Nov. 14.