Man admits Geneva car burglaries, enters Kane drug court
A former St. Charles man recently entered Kane County's drug court after admitting to a spate of car burglaries in Geneva in July 2013 to feed a drug addiction, according to his attorney and court records.
Malibu Barstow, 19, formerly of the 600 block of Pheasant Trail and now of Huntley, pleaded guilty last week to four counts of felony burglary and sentenced to 30 months probation, which will begin with him entering an inpatient drug treatment program.
Barstow was initially charged with 10 counts of burglary and six counts of criminal property damage.
Last fall, he was charged with burglarizing vehicles near the 1100 block of East State Street on July 7, 2013, in some cases breaking windows and damaging dashboards to steal money and small electronics.
"Most of (the vehicles) were unlocked. He was just taking what was in the center console," said his defense attorney, Brittany Pederson. "His actions were motivated by the need to get money for drugs. He was abusing at a very young age."
She declined to elaborate on what Barstow was addicted to and when he started using drugs.
Barstow also spent 311 days at the Kane County jail while the charges were pending. If he cannot complete the 2½-year long Drug Rehabilitation Court program, he could be resentenced to up to seven years in prison.
Pederson is optimistic Barstow can be rehabilitated and become a productive member of society.
"I'm hopeful and he's hopeful," she said. "He's very committed to living a life of sobriety."