Eight years for Arlington Heights man convicted of burglary
An Arlington Heights man has pleaded guilty to several residential burglaries that took place last year in Arlington Heights and Palatine Township.
Jerry Dickens, 42, pleaded guilty to three class 1 felonies. Cook County Judge Kay Hanlon sentenced him to eight years in prison and ordered him to pay $399 in fines. Dickens received credit for 321 days in custody. He must complete at least 50 percent of his sentence before he is eligible for parole.
Arlington Heights police arrested Dickens in November 2011 after they increased patrols in Arlington Heights’ Terramere subdivision following a series of break-ins that began about a month earlier.
Cook County sheriff’s police had been investigating similar burglaries in unincorporated Palatine Township beginning in September 2011 and shared information with Arlington Heights police.
On Nov. 17, 2011, sheriff’s police responded to a call of a break-in in the 1900 block of Trail Ridge Road, where items including jewelry and laptops were taken from the home. That same day, Arlington Heights police noticed Dickens discarding items as he walked. The items turned out to be jewelry taken from the Trail Ridge Road home, authorities said.
Dickens later admitted his involvement in several burglaries in the area, police said.