Woman accused of threatening aldermanic candidate with bat — over yard signs

Tracy Blegen-Bartels | CPD

A Humboldt Park woman is accused of threatening a 26th Ward aldermanic candidate and an aide with a baseball bat in a dispute over the placement of campaign signs, according to court records.

Theresa Siaw, one of five candidates running to unseat incumbent Alderman Roberto Maldonado in Tuesday’s election, told police that 49-year-old Tracy Blegen-Bartels engaged her and a female assistant in a verbal dispute over the placement of signs outside the Humboldt Park Public Library, 1605 North Troy, around noon on Feb. 11th.

That’s when Blegen-Bartels allegedly swung a silver aluminum Louisville Slugger “directly toward both victims” without striking either woman, according to Siaw’s complaint.

Theresa Siaw | Facebook

Blegen-Bartels admits that she had a bat outside the library, but only because she was using it to hammer campaign signs for another candidate into the frozen ground. She denies threatening anyone with the bat.

Siaw, 32, and the 46-year-old assistant signed complaints against Blegen-Bartels who was charged with two misdemeanor counts of assault with a deadly weapon. Blegen-Bartels was released on a recognizance bond.

In January, Siaw accused Streets and Sanitation workers of stealing her campaign signs from yards while leaving Maldonado’s signs untouched.
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CWBChicago was created in 2013 by five residents of Wrigleyville and Boystown who had grown disheartened with inaccurate information that was being provided at local Community Policing (CAPS) meetings. Our coverage area has expanded since then to cover Lincoln Park, River North, The Loop, Uptown, and other North Side Areas. But our mission remains unchanged: To provide original public safety reporting with better context and greater detail than mainstream media outlets.