It’s been a month since Chicago police released surveillance images of a serial burglar who’s been burglarizing laundry machines on the North Side. Now, prosecutors have charged a nine-time convicted burglar with committing the crimes.
Jose Clark, 43, who is on parole for burglary and also has a pending retail theft case, was identified by multiple cops and civilians as the prowler seen in surveillance images CPD released on April 27.
Authorities accuse Clark of targeting residential laundry rooms, tampering with surveillance cameras, and unscrewing lightbulbs to avoid detection. Video evidence allegedly shows him flipping laundry machines over and shaking them to shake out money. Prosecutors said he also pried open cash boxes, stealing up to $250 per incident.
The burglaries occurred at the 2200 block of West Morse on March 21, the 7400 block of North Ridge on April 1, the 5900 block of North Kenmore on April 12, and the 6100 block of North Winthrop on April 19.
Judge Deidre Dyer detained Clark on four counts of burglary and two counts of tampering with a security system. He is also being held on a parole violation warrant and for allegedly violating pretrial release conditions in a retail theft charge that he picked up at Target, 6422 North Sheridan, on April 3.
Illinois Department of Corrections records show Clark’s prior burglary and burglary-related convictions were in 2022, twice in 2018, 2014, 2010, 2009, 2008, and 2007.
