A convicted burglar is now facing fresh allegations for reportedly breaking into Loyola University students’ apartments and another resident’s garage, leading to three arrests before a judge finally detained him.
The incidents began on January 29, when a 21-year-old Loyola student returned to his apartment in the 6400 block of North Magnolia Avenue to find his Bluetooth speaker missing from the bathroom. Surveillance footage later captured an individual in the alley behind the building carrying a speaker. Although the student identified it as his own, he could not recognize the person in the video, according to court documents.
Approximately two weeks later, a 62-year-old resident of the 6400 block of North Greenview Avenue reported having video evidence of someone entering his detached garage on February 9. The footage showed an individual taking tools and loading them into a garbage can before leaving with it.
The situation intensified on February 15, just before midnight, when the same resident called 911 to report that the same individual had entered his home. When officers arrived, they found the resident holding the intruder, identified as 48-year-old Christopher Johnson, on the ground. Despite the victim identifying Johnson as the February 9 burglar, police initially only charged him with trespassing and released him a few hours later.
Six days later, Loyola University police were called to a burglary in the 1200 block of West Arthur Avenue, where students reported the theft of an Apple Watch and two Apple MacBooks, as stated by prosecutors.
A Loyola officer tracked the location data and discovered Johnson about two blocks away with the stolen items. However, he was only charged with a misdemeanor theft and released again.
Once released, the Loyola officer who apprehended Johnson realized he was the same person seen in the alley with the student’s Bluetooth speaker on January 29. Johnson now faces charges for that incident as well.
Prosecutors have also added charges related to the burglary of the 62-year-old man’s garage on February 9. Judge James Costello has ordered Johnson’s detention pending trial on both burglary charges. Meanwhile, the misdemeanor theft case involving the Loyola students remains unresolved.
Court records indicate that Johnson was sentenced to five years in 2023 for a previous burglary of an apartment in the 6200 block of North Wayne Avenue.
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