Unlocked Store Door Tempted Burglar

Temptation was apparently too much for a self-admitted drug-addicted South Side man who admitted to police that he burglarized an electronics and variety store after he accidentally discovered that the door had been left unlocked, according to court papers.

Alexander Lopez-Gonzalez, 40, of 923 E. Sixth St., known around the neighborhood as “Perla,” is charged with burglary, theft and receiving stolen property – all felonies. He is accused of stealing about $4,000 worth of items from Corner Stone Sales at 739 E. Fourth St. at a little after midnight on Friday.

Lopez-Gonzalez admitted the crime to police, through an interpreter – Fountain Hill Police Officer Jose Vazquez, the arrest affidavit said.

He told Vazquez that normally does not steal, but that he was standing in front of the store when it started to rain that night and when he backed up against the door, he discovered it was not locked, court papers said. He said he stole to support his drug habit, though the court record indicates he brought many of the items home, where family members rejected them and contacted police.

Police were initially contacted by shop owner Reynaldo Figueroa who reported the burglary Friday morning. Among the stolen items were three laptop computers, three iPods, an Xbox and a PlayStation game system, several cell phones, three vehicle amplifiers, three car stereos and several pairs of sunglasses, court papers say.

Figueroa told police that he was able to view video surveillance, which showed a man filling a trash can with items and pushing it around the store in a wheelchair, according to the court record.

Later, while making a copy of the video for police, Figueroa was able to identify the burglar as Lopez-Gonzalez. He visited the suspect’s home, where his relatives began to return the stolen items to him, court papers say.

Relatives then contacted police and asked for him to be removed from their home.

Following his arraignment before District Judge James J. Narlesky, Lopez-Gonzalez was committed to Northampton County Prison in lieu of $50,000 bail.