A Northwest Side man who was chosen for an emergency motion for release from jail when the COVID pandemic arrived in March has been charged with eight counts of burglary, one count of robbery, and escaping from electronic monitoring.
His COVID concerns must not have been too serious. Prosecutors say he didn’t wear a mask to the burglaries.
Thomas Pfost, 27, was jailed since July 2019 in lieu of $80,000 bail while he awaited trial in connection with two robberies and four burglaries. But, when authorities moved to empty the Cook County jail as COVID arrived, public defenders selected Pfost for an emergency motion for release, according to sheriff’s department records.
Pfost got out on electronic monitoring and, if prosecutors’ allegations are true, he went back to work — if you consider robbery and burglary to be work.
Late last Wednesday night, police responded to a series of burglaries on the Northwest Side, including at a pizza shop, a Dunkin’ Donuts, and a dry cleaner.
At the dry cleaner, video cameras recorded a man prying open the back door with a crowbar and then stealing a zipper bag filled with cash, prosecutors said Friday. According to the state’s allegations, police officers who viewed the video immediately recognized the burglar as Pfost.
Even though Pfost got out of jail due to COVID concerns, prosecutors said he was not wearing a mask during the burglary, making it a lot easier for police to identify him.
Cops went to Pfost’s home in the 4200 block of Narragansett and found Proft on the roof. He was taken into custody.
During Friday’s bond hearing, Pfost was charged with eight burglaries, a robbery, and escape. Judge Susana Ortiz ordered him held without bail for escape and for violating the terms of bail in the six cases from last year. She set bail on the other nine new cases at $150,000.
Pfost’s criminal background includes two burglary convictions for which he received concurrent four-year terms in 2011 and a 2013 robbery conviction for which he received a ten-year sentence.