Man in Custody in Connection with Destructive Burning Cross in Chicago's Grant Park

Chicago, Illinois - A person of interest has been taken into custody in connection with the discovery of a burning cross in Grant Park.

The incident occurred last week off Columbus and Balbo drives, where firefighters from the Chicago Fire Department responded to the scene at 2:30 p.m. and extinguished the flames.

Chicago police released images of a person of interest seen allegedly fleeing the area, prompting the community to come forward with tips.

Tuesday morning, the Chicago Police Department confirmed that a person of interest is now in custody.

The burning cross is widely regarded as a symbol of racist hatred, and local community leaders are speaking out against the incident.

Reverend Michael L. Pfleger of the Faith Community of Saint Sabina has offered a $10,000 reward for information leading to an arrest.

'This was a deliberate and premeditated act,' Pfleger said. 'The cross was created somewhere else, carried to downtown Chicago, and placed in a highly visible location before being set on fire.'

Pfleger emphasized that the burning cross is a decades-old symbol of hate and supremacy associated with the Ku Klux Klan.