Free on Bail, Accused Burglar Caught Thieving Again: Cops

A man who was charged with three burglaries and released Nov. 6 on bail was arrested again Nov. 9 for package theft in Riverside.

The alleged package thefts took place about 20 minutes after the man had tried to claim property, confiscated during his first arrest, at the police department lobby, according to Riverside police.

A 911 caller reported a package was taken at 2:03 p.m. Nov. 9 from the front porch of a home in the 200 block of East Burlington.

The caller said a man had picked up the package, ripped it open and walked east. Patrols were sent to the area, and after searching for about four minutes, they found a person matching the description from the caller.

Jean Carlos Deleon, 21 of the 5200 block of West 25th Street in Cicero, was detained and positively identified as the package thief by the witness, police reported. Riverside officers immediately recognized him from his Oct. 7 arrest for burglaries.

Police report Deleon was belligerent and refused to cooperate. They recovered the package Deleon was carrying when they stopped him. A search of the area revealed another package was stolen from a home in the 100 block of East Burlington. The stolen items were found in a bush on the block.

At the police station, officers confirmed Riverside police had arrested Deleon at 1:27 a.m. Oct. 7, and he and a codefendant had been charged with three counts of burglary for breaking into cars and garages, police reported.

Deleon had been released Nov. 6, and on Nov. 9, he returned to the police department lobby to try to recover property. But police say the property he was trying to retrieve were items he had stolen during the burglaries.

Police denied Deleon the property, and they report he became angry. Within 20 minutes of leaving the police department lobby, police say he started stealing the packages along East Burlington.

Deleon was charged Tuesday with two counts of misdemeanor theft and criminal damage to property, since he reportedly damaged the holding cell he was in during the booking process.

The value of the property stolen, which included shoes and a music box, was less than $300 dollars.

Police held Deleon for a bond hearing and asked the state’s attorney’s office to file a revocation of the bail that was set on the October burglary case.

Riverside Police Chief Thomas Weitzel had filed an official objection to Deleon’s original bail from October, which was $100 on the three burglaries and $100 on a violation.

Deleon is currently being held without bail, according to the Cook County Sheriff’s Office.

Photo courtesy of the Riverside Police Department.