Man held on $750K bond in fatal stabbing of graffiti artist (vandal) City might experience less vandalism

A 19-year-old man was ordered held on $750,000 bond this afternoon in connection with the fatal stabbing of a Logan Square graffiti artist, prosecutors said.
Kristopher Klimala, 19, of the 2000 block of South Western Avenue, was charged with first-degree murder in the Saturday night stabbing death of Linear Caballero.
Prosecutors said Klimala was walking near his home at the intersection of Western and Armitage avenues, when he spotted Caballero, a passenger in his girlfriend's car that was stopped at the light. Caballero and his girlfriend were on their way shopping.
Caballero noticed Klimala staring at him and recognized him to be a member of the "Vandalize the City" graffiti tagging crew who had jumped him in a fight weeks prior, prosecutors said. During the previous altercation, Cabellero was struck in the head with a brick.
Caballero told his girlfriend the man's nickname before Klimala approached the car, prosecutors said.
Klimala then walked up to the car and a verbal altercation started. The passenger side door was open and while Caballero was seated in the car, Klimala pulled out a knife and started stabbing him, prosecutors said.
Caballero, who was unarmed, tried to kick Klimala, who then stabbed him twice in the leg near his knee, prosecutors said.
Caballero's girlfriend took off and drove him to St. Mary and Elizabeth Medical Center; he was later transferred to John H. Stroger, Jr. Hospital of Cook County, where he was treated for three neck lacerations, officials said. The neck injuries resulted in a lacerated artery.
Caballero was pronounced dead later that night at the hospital.
Klimala was identified in a photo lineup as the person who stabbed Caballero and also admitted to other witnesses that he committed the stabbing, prosecutors said.
Police said he confessed to the crime and told them where he disposed of the weapon, prosecutors said. Police were still searching for the weapon.