North Side burglar had pry tools, fob readers, bags of lockpicks and meth, cops say

James McClain (Chicago Police Department, Multiplottr)

CHICAGO — Prosecutors have charged an Edgewater man with burglarizing an apartment building in the neighborhood, and a Chicago Police report says he may be responsible for even more cases.

The report said James McClain, 37, had a host of burglary tools when cops arrested him a few days ago: bolt cutters, two pouches of lockpicks, pliers, a box cutter, a machinist’s file, two pry tools, and a card and key fob reader “suitable for use in breaking into a building [or] motor vehicle.”

He also had three debit and credit cards issued in the names of three different people and 10 grams of suspected methamphetamine worth about $400, the report stated.

Surveillance video showed McClain burglarizing an apartment building in the 5600 block of North Kenmore on February 15 and returning to the same building to commit another burglary three days later, the report said. A bicycle and backpack were taken during the break-ins.

The CPD report said other video footage showed McClain breaking into a building in the 5800 block of North Broadway three times on February 2 and twice on February 3 to take items from the garage, storage area, and mailroom. However, he is not charged with those incidents.

He’s charged with two counts of burglary, possession of burglary tools, and possession of a controlled substance. Judge Mary Marubio released him to await trial.

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CWBChicago was created in 2013 by five residents of Wrigleyville and Boystown who had grown disheartened with inaccurate information that was being provided at local Community Policing (CAPS) meetings. Our coverage area has expanded since then to cover Lincoln Park, River North, The Loop, Uptown, and other North Side Areas. But our mission remains unchanged: To provide original public safety reporting with better context and greater detail than mainstream media outlets. Our editorial email address is [email protected]