A man with a history of smashing his way into Chicago homes is back in custody after prosecutors linked him to a West Town burglary spree, and police allegedly caught him riding a stolen scooter with a loaded gun and heroin in his bag.
Anthony Wickliffe, 31, has past convictions for theft and multiple residential burglaries, all involving the same signature move: breaking through rear glass doors or windows to steal jewelry, electronics, and other valuables. In 2017, he was convicted of five separate burglaries. In 2019 and 2020, he was convicted again for similar offenses.
Now, prosecutors say Wickliffe returned to the same tactics in July, committing a string of burglaries between July 8 and July 16. The spree, according to a detention filing, involved disabling security cameras, shattering glass doors, and targeting high-value items, including a $7,000 coin collection, custom jewelry, laptops, an electric bike, and a Segway Ninebot scooter.
It began on July 8 around 2:40 p.m. in the 1600 block of West Erie, where a homeowner saw Wickliffe on surveillance footage jumping a backyard fence. Wickliffe allegedly grabbed a broom to smash the camera before the owner arrived to find the glass rear door broken. Nothing was missing.
Less than 30 minutes later, in the 2100 block of West Erie, prosecutors say Wickliffe struck a home while the owners were out of town. A neighbor spotted their shattered rear door and called police. Missing were watches, jewelry, credit cards, a computer monitor, and the coin collection. Video allegedly showed Wickliffe trying to use one of the stolen credit cards the next day.
Minutes later, still on the same block, he allegedly tried to break into another home but fled when the resident yelled at him.
On July 14, prosecutors say he broke the glass door of a garage in the 1300 block of West Ohio, rummaged through a vehicle, and stole an electric bike with an AirTag attached. That AirTag would later lead police to focus their search for the burglar in the 1200 block of South St. Louis.
The next day, in the 1400 block of West Superior, he allegedly pried open a garage and took a Segway Ninebot scooter. On July 16, in the 1300 block of West Grand, prosecutors say he smashed a glass door and stole a MacBook, diamond ring, and custom jewelry before leaving on the stolen scooter.
Police eventually stopped Wickliffe as he rode the stolen scooter in the 1200 block of South St. Louis, prosecutors said. Inside his cross-body bag, the cops allegedly found a loaded handgun and 11 baggies of suspected heroin.
Prosecutors say he told officers, “he knew what [they] were here for and he isn’t stupid.” He also denied involvement in the burglaries, claiming he didn’t know the scooter was stolen and that he no longer commits break-ins and doesn’t sell stolen jewelry.
Judge John Hock ordered Wickliffe detained pending trial on four counts of burglary, armed violence, being a felon in possession of a weapon, possession of a controlled substance, and criminal damage to property.
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