Elgin man gets 20 years for 7th residential burglary

An Elgin man who has been sent to prison 10 times since 1982 was sentenced to 20 more years behind bars after pleading guilty to his seventh residential burglary, according to prosecutors.

During 48-year-old Jose L. Perez's sentencing Tuesday, Circuit Judge David Akemann referred to Perez's criminal past as “troubling.” Prosecutors detailed Perez's criminal history of seven residential burglaries since Sept. 14, 1982, two burglaries since Dec. 30, 1980, and one drug delivery, according to the Kane County state's attorney's office.

Perez's latest residential burglary occurred on July 29, 2010, when he broke into a home on the 0-100 block of Villa Street in Elgin and stole a laptop computer, a cellphone, a video game, a digital camera and cash.

Friends of the residents saw Perez carrying the items once he was outside the home and contacted police, who found Perez hiding in a tree still carrying some of the stolen goods.

Perez has been in prison, on probation or on parole every day since May 17, 1979, and was on parole when he committed the latest offense, according to prosecutors.

“This defendant has shown that nobody's property is safe when he is out of custody, that he will re-offend, that he has no remorse and that he chooses the easiest victims to prey upon,” Kane County State's Attorney Joe McMahon said in a statement.