Break-in to swap clothes lands Chicago man behind bars
A Chicago man accused of breaking into a Crystal Lake-area home last week to get a change of clothes remained locked up in the McHenry County jail Monday facing burglary and drug charges.
Crystal Lake police arrested Norman Brown, 20, after a traffic stop Friday night in which, a criminal complaint alleges, officers found him in possession of cocaine along with evidence he intended to distribute it.
"From our experience, it was packaged for redistribution," police Cmdr. Dan Dziewior said.
Based on evidence from that arrest, McHenry County Sheriff's investigators linked Brown to a bizarre chain of events involving a car crash Wednesday morning and the ensuing break-in of a nearby residence in an unincorporated area north of Crystal Lake.
Brown, sheriff's police said, was one of two men in an SUV that was rear-ended about 11:12 a.m. Monday near the intersection of Route 31 and Oak Crest Road. After the collision, police said, the two men fled the scene and efforts to locate them by officers from several departments as well as police dogs were unsuccessful.
At about 8 p.m. that day, however, the owners of a residence in the 4500 block of Terra Cotta Road arrived home to discover some had broken in through a second-floor window, rummaged through closets, taken clothes and left behind a damp shirt, a pair of pants and collared shirt before leaving.
There was no evidence anything but the clothes were taken, sheriff's Lt. Andrew Zinke said.
"It appears they were just trying to change their appearance," he said.
The second man who fled the crash scene remains at large and the investigation is ongoing. Police did not find anything illegal in the SUV left behind at the crash scene.
Brown, who is in custody on $75,000 bond, is charged with residential burglary, unlawful possession of a controlled substance, unlawful possession of a controlled substance, attempted obstruction of justice and resisting arrest.
The most serious charges could land him in prison for 15 years. He is scheduled to appear in court Thursday.