Lopez | Chicago Police Dept |
A Lakeview condo building’s maintenance worker has been charged with burglarizing multiple units in the high-rise complex and making off with tens of thousands of dollars in residents’ property during the second-half of 2017.
Victor Lopez Jr of Hammond, IN, was charged in October with stealing jewelry from a woman’s unit while she vacation in September. Now, cops say he has been connected to four more cases in the building which stands on the 300 block of West Barry.
After stealing the property, Lopez sold items at pawn shops while presenting his own identification to complete the transactions, police said.
The burglary spree began on July 1 when Lopez allegedly entered a woman’s condo and stole gold rings, necklaces, pendants encrusted with jewels, pocket watches, wrist watches, and cash valued at more than $10,000.
He entered another unit and stole two rings three weeks later, followed by the theft of a 14-karat gold horseshoe with diamonds from a man’s condo on August 20, police said
In late September, Lopez allegedly took two “knock off” Cartier watches, a Raymond Weil watch, several rings, an engraved gold bracelet, numerous gold chains and $800 cash from a vacationing resident’s condo. He was charged in this case on October 20.
The final incident came between October 1 and October 15 when Lopez entered a woman’s residence and took three platinum rings, a monogrammed 70-piece sterling silver flatware set, bracelets, rings, and cash, investigators said.
Altogether, Lopez is charged with four felony counts of residential burglary and one count of theft. Judge Stephanie Miller ordered him released on electronic monitoring with a $25,000 recognizance bond.