22-year prison term for repeat burglar

A 51-year-old man was sentenced to 22 years in prison Friday after pleading guilty to a June 2012 apartment burglary in Downers Grove.

An arrest warrant for Steve Mantucca, of Mt. Sterling, was issued in June 2013 after DNA from his glasses that he left at the scene linked him to the crime.

He had six previous convictions for residential burglary or attempted burglary and nine felony convictions overall in Illinois, according to the Illinois Department of Corrections.

Mantucca's past record meant he was eligible for an extended prison term of up to 30 years.

DuPage prosecutors said Mantucca broke into a Downers Grove apartment the afternoon of June 28 ad began to fill a backpack with cash and other items.

The victim came back during the crime and Mantucca fled after a brief scuffle but left his glasses.

Police submitted the glasses to the Illinois State Crime Lab and the DNA taken from them matched Mantucca's DNA from a database of convicted felons.

DuPage County State's Attorney Robert Berlin thanked prosecutors and police who worked on the case.

“The sentence handed down by Judge (John) Kinsella will keep society safe from Mr. Mantucca fro a very long time,” Berlin said in a prepared statement. “The sentence will also serve as a deterrent to others that this type of brazen behavior will not be tolerated and will be met with the full force of the law.”

Mantucca was serving a nine year prison term for a February 2012 residential burglary in Cook County at the time of his arrest.

According to the Illinois Department of Corrections, Mantucca has nine previous felony convictions dating back to the mid-1980s, primarily for residential burglary and attempted burglary, but also for forgery, theft and unlawful restraint.