A serial burglar with a quickly rising felony résumé has obtained a 10-year sentence for a string of residential break-ins on the North Facet.
James Myers, 31, pleaded responsible to 4 counts of residential housebreaking in change for the sentence from Choose Charles Burns. Prosecutors dropped costs in two different burglaries. Burns ordered the 4 10-year phrases to run concurrently, in keeping with courtroom information.
Myers stole jewellery and different valuables, getting away with property price about $90,000 from one Lakeview household’s dwelling alone, after which pawned the gadgets at outlets within the metropolis and suburbs for a fraction of their true worth, officers stated.
Final August, prosecutors charged him with punching a 38-year-old Lakeview girl within the face after she caught him burglarizing her dwelling within the 600 block of West Grace. In keeping with courtroom filings, he took the girl’s Coach pockets, $4,000 money, knowledgeable digicam, fragrance, and an Apple Watch.
Detectives subsequently linked him to 5 extra dwelling break-ins.
A lady residing within the 5200 block of North Magnolia in Edgewater reported that she left her door unlocked whereas she walked her canine and returned to search out Myers within the kitchen. After he bolted out the again door, she found that necklaces and earrings price $8,000 have been lacking from her jewellery field, in keeping with courtroom filings.
She warned neighbors concerning the break-in on NextDoor and realized that one in all her neighbors had a video of a burglar who tried to interrupt into his dwelling that very same day. That footage finally led police to Myers.
On June 7, 2024, a 20-year-old Lincoln Park man reported {that a} burglar entered his household’s dwelling within the 500 block of West Grant by crawling via an open window. Myers allegedly acquired away with Fender and Rickenbacker guitars and a digital actuality headset after which pawned them in Alsip.
A Lakeview couple was on an prolonged trip when a burglar broke into their dwelling within the 400 block of West Melrose on the Fourth of July final 12 months. Surveillance video confirmed the thief taking property price greater than $90,000: a $16,750 platinum, sapphire, and diamond ring; a $9,000 necklace; gold earrings price $7,500; a $4,000 jade ring; a $13,000 diamond tennis bracelet; a $5,000 gold Breitling watch; a $7,150 Rolex; a $4,250 gold necklace; $24,000 in different jewellery; and $300 money. Myers allegedly introduced his state ID when he pawned the gadgets at a retailer on Jeweler’s Row within the Loop.
A 32-year-old man residing within the 600 block of West Wrightwood went to the fitness center with out locking his door on August 3 and returned dwelling to find a mandolin, purses, and jewellery price over $3,000 lacking. He offered police with surveillance photos that confirmed Myers arriving at his residence with a FedEx envelope and leaving together with his property. Prosecutors stated Myers introduced his driver’s license when he pawned the gadgets in Hometown.
On August 9, 2024, a Roscoe Village girl went on a motorcycle experience and returned to search out her dwelling within the 3400 block of North Hoyne ransacked. A surveillance video confirmed Myers in her kitchen holding a FedEx envelope, investigators stated. A pair of $1,200 Christian Louboutin sneakers, $800 Hermes sneakers, a $2,000 Moncler coat, a $2,000 Burberry purse, a $2,000 Givenchy purse, and $2,000 money have been taken. By the point prosecutors charged Myers, her gadgets had not been positioned.
Myers was discharged from parole in December 2023 after serving half of a four-year sentence he obtained for a theft in Park Forest, officers stated. His earlier felony convictions embody resisting police in 2016, a theft within the 1700 block of North Sedgwick in 2019, and a housebreaking within the 2400 block of North Janssen in 2019.
His 10-year housebreaking sentence shall be lower in half for good habits and lowered additional by 624 days of credit score he earned whereas awaiting trial.
