A nine-time convicted felon who’s on parole is charged with burglary for allegedly stealing bicycles from a Lincoln Park apartment building this week. Reginald Davis, 58, got out of prison one year ago for his eighth burglary case, which involved stealing bikes from homes on the North Side, according to records.
Police responded to an apartment building on the 2500 block of North Clark around 3:20 a.m. Tuesday after a security guard saw three people entering a locked bike cage and leaving with bicycles.
Video showed Davis walking out with three of the bikes and placing them into a car that was parked in a nearby alley, Assistant State’s Attorney Sean Kelly said.
Cops arrived in time to see all three men loading bikes into two cars, according to Kelly. The thieves tried to drive away, but they ran into a dead end and bolted from the vehicles on foot. Police allegedly found Davis lying in the back yard of a home on the 500 block of West Deming. The other two got away.
Prosecutors charged Davis with burglary, six counts of felony theft, and misdemeanor trespassing.
During Davis’ bail hearing, Judge Mary Marubio informed him that he also had an outstanding warrant from Lake County where prosecutors have charged him with burglary, theft, and felony criminal damage to a bicycle shop in Zion.
“I’ve never been arrested for that,” Davis protested upon being informed of the warrant.
“You’ve just been arrested on it. Just now,” Marubio replied.
She set his bail at $30,000 for the Lincoln Park case. Davis must post 10% of that to get out of jail on the charge.
In 2017, prosecutors charged Davis with committing a string of burglaries that involved stealing bicycles from garages in North Center and Ravenswood.
When cops arrested him upon finding two stolen bikes in the back seat of his car early on the Fourth of July, Davis told them he “just bought the bikes off some Black guy 20 minutes ago,” a CPD report said.
Cops allegedly found a collection of burglary tools in the trunk of the car, including knives, bolt cutters, hammers, wire cutters, screwdrivers, and wrenches. There were also four bike locks.
He received a six-year sentence and was released last June after serving half of the time.
At the time of the 2017 burglaries, Davis was on parole for stealing bikes during a 2013 burglary on the 1400 block of West George in Lakeview, according to court records. He received six years in that case, too, and was also released after serving half of the time.
At the time of the 2013 burglary, he was on parole for a 2008 burglary for which he received 10 years, but got released after serving five.
And he was also on parole at the time of the 2008 burglary — for a 2003 burglary that resulted in a six-year sentence.
Before that, he received two years for theft in 2001, 42 months for burglary in 1997, six years for burglary in 1988, four years for burglary in 1984, and three years for burglary in 1982, according to Illinois Department of Corrections records.
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