N. Chicago man gets jail for theft

A North Chicago man was sentenced to 60 days in jail Friday for breaking into a Libertyville plumbing company's truck.

Daeron McKnight, 29, will be released from jail only to go to work or substance abuse treatment.

Lake County Assistant State's Attorney George Pappas said Libertyville police were dispatched to Arrow Plumbing, 547 North Ave., about 11:35 p.m. on June 11 because of an alarm.

When officers arrived on the scene, they saw a man exiting the back of one of the company's work trucks and was carrying plumbing supplies, Pappas said.

The man ran from officers, leaving behind a car with the engine running.

Police traced the car to McKnight's girlfriend, Pappas said, and arrested McKnight, of the 1000 block of Glen Drive, the next day.

He was charged with burglary, which carries a maximum penalty of seven years in prison.

Pappas said he agreed to reduce the charge to theft, which carries a maximum of five years in prison, in exchange for McKnight's guilty plea.

In addition to the jail sentence, Circuit Judge John Phillips placed McKnight on probation for 30 months and warned him he could still be sentenced to prison if he fails to comply with the rules of probation.