Last May, he was sentenced to two years in prison for burglarizing a home in Lincoln Park.
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| Walker. Again. | Cook County Sheriff |
But 23-year-old James E. Walker was paroled in April after serving less than one year—and NOW he’s charged with burglary again!
Last Tuesday afternoon, two Uptown men saw Walker force open a window to gain access to an apartment in the 5000 block of North Glenwood, police said. Cops arrived on-scene just as Walker was leaving.
Walker was arrested after a short foot chase and police said they found two MacBooks in his backpack—including one that was allegedly taken from the apartment on Glenwood.
Cops say Walker told them that he took the laptops so he could sell them, asking “How else would I eat?”
A judge set his bail at $50,000.
In April of last year, Walker was charged with burglary after an undercover Chicago police unit caught him leaving the scene of a Lincoln Park break-in, court records say.
Officers who stopped Walker for a field interview found property that they traced to a home in the 2600 block of N. Wayne, where a forcible-entry burglary had taken place, prosecutors said.
Walker was carrying a Dell laptop, a Samsung phone, Oontz wireless speakers, an iPod, and credit cards in another man’s name, cops say.
He quickly pleaded guilty to a downgraded theft charge and was given a two-year sentence. But, since Illinois is a “criminal-friendly” state, Walker was set free after serving less than a year at the Centralia Correctional Center.
More Break-ins
Another handful of burglaries have been reported since our update this weekend:
• The 3600 block of North Greenview around 8:30 p.m. on Sunday.
• Two apartments in the 1500 block of West George around 10 p.m. on Sunday
• An apartment in the 1300 block of West Barry was found burglarized at 11:10 p.m. on Saturday.
The burglars used force to enter all four properties, a source said.
Edgewater Burglary Alert
Detectives yesterday issued a community alert for the Edgewater neighborhood. At least four break-ins have been reported in a concentrated area there since August 4. No offender description was offered in the warning.
The thieves have entered homes through doors or windows in the morning and afternoon hours, police said.
Detectives mentioned four specific cases:
• In the 1100 block of W. Balmoral on August 4, 2017, 9am-5:30pm
• In the 1000 block of W. Foster from August 6-8, 2017 8am-11am
• In the 5200 block of N. Winthrop on August 11, 2017 11:30am-4:35pm
• In the 5500 block of N. Broadway on August 11, 2017 9am-3:30pm
