Harper student charges with forgery, theft

Police arrested a Harper College student and charged him with forgery and other crimes in the wake of several incidents that occurred earlier this year in Schaumburg and Palatine.

Zaire Harris, 20, was charged with residential burglary and two counts of forgery after authorities say he entered a Schaumburg home on April 17 and took two blank checks belonging to the homeowners. He wrote checks to himself in the amounts of $2,000 and $1,500 and signed the victims' names, said a Cook County State's Attorney spokeswoman. He was later caught on videotape as he deposited the check in his bank account, the spokeswoman said.

In May, authorities say Harris took a blank check from a fellow Harper College student's backpack, made it out to himself in the amount of $3,000, signed the victim's name and deposited the check into his account.

Harris, who lives in the 100 block of 19th Avenue in Maywood, has no criminal background, the spokeswoman said.

A Cook County judge set his bond at $75,000 Wednesday. He next appears in a Rolling Meadows courtroom on July 29.