Victimized Man Suspects Smashed Windshield, Spray-Painted Obscenity Were Work of Alleged Badge-Flashing Fake Cop: Police

TINLEY PARK, IL — A local resident reportedly told police he suspects a man he had arrested for allegedly pretending to be a cop smashed his windshield and defaced his home with a spray-painted obscenity.

The man, 54-year-old Thomas Wagner, called the cops the morning of Aug. 3 and showed them the smashed windshield of his 2003 Chevy Impala and the word “F--k” spray painted in gray on the tan aluminum siding of his Ozark Avenue house.

Wagner told an officer he “heard two thumps outside” about 2:30 a.m. and went to investigate, police said.

Wagner did not see anyone but did not check his car or the side of his house either.

Then, about an hour later, Wagner heard another two thumps but did not bother going out to check that time.

A neighbor with a motion sensor camera allowed an officer to view surveillance footage. The video showed a light-colored van pulling out of Wagner’s driveway shortly before 4 a.m.

Wagner told an officer that he “believes” the vandalism is “connected” to a legal proceeding “in which he is the complaining witness in a pending court case against Eric Dughetti,” police said.

Dughetti was arrested in June and charged with impersonating a police officer.

According to a police report, Wagner was walking his dog and shouted at Dughetti to slow down as he drove by in his Ford Mustang.

“Thomas said the driver, Eric, stopped and got out of the vehicle and began yelling at him,” the report said.

“Thomas said Eric then grabbed his badge and shoved it in his face and told Thomas that he was a cop,” the report said. “Thomas asked Eric what department he worked for, but Eric didn’t answer and left the area.”

There was a hearing for the case the day the vandalism was discovered but a prosecutor told Wagner he did not need to attend it, police said.