Dec. 26--An Evanston man was ordered held in lieu of bail Friday on charges he stole Christmas gifts from multiple homes in West Rogers Park.
Alston Rodriguez, 18, was charged with burglary and attempted burglary in connection with multiple break-ins. Judge Donald Panarese Jr. set his bail at $250,000 in Cook County Bond Court on Christmas Day.
Rodriguez was arrested at 1 a.m. Thursday after he was spotted trying to use a spoon to pry open the window of a home in the 2100 block of West Rosemont Avenue, according to a police report.
Rodriguez has also been identified in other burglaries in the area, and officers recovered some of the stolen goods, including several Christmas gifts, according to police. When he was arrested, he was in possession of a blue jewelry box with two yellow metal earrings inside, according to court documents.
After his arrest, he led police to a stash of items hidden in an alley off the 6400 block of North Leavitt Street, where they found a black bag behind a shovel under a stairwell, according to court documents.
Rodriguez told police he stole the items because he was homeless, according to court documents, but when asked Friday by Panarese where he lived, he answered that he lived with his mother.
Rodriguez also is charged in connection with burglaries in the 2100 block of West Highland Avenue that took place Wednesday between 7:30 p.m. and 9:40 p.m. and on the same block Thursday about 12:55 a.m., police said.
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