Mendez get prison time for felony

PRINCETON — Andres Mendez Jr., 33, of Spring Valley was sentenced Oct. 16 to one and one-half years in prison after pleading guilty to the Class 4 felony of criminal defacement of property. In addition to his one and one-half year prison sentence, Mendez was also ordered to pay $1,285 in court costs and fines and $600 in restitution by  Circuit Judge Marc Bernabei.

In early August 2008, the DePue Police Department was notified that a home, a business, the DePue school and city hall had all been spray painted with red graffiti. The content of that graffiti was similar on each building.

Mendez and co-defendant Edgar Mendez were arrested about two days later on unrelated charges by the Illinois State Police. Police then found cans of spray paint in a Mendez vehicle. Following further investigation by the DePue Police Department and a laboratory analysis by the ISP crime lab, the men were charged on March 3, with criminal defacement of property.

Andres Mendez Jr. has previous convictions for residential burglary, aggravated battery, obstructing justice and possession of a controlled substance.