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Burglar Apologizes, Wants To Return Hat He Stole From Home, Prosecutors Say

By  Stephanie Lulay and Erica Demarest | March 22, 2017 9:45am | Updated on March 22, 2017 6:15pm

 Eduardo Campos, 24, was charged in three recent Pilsen burglaries.
Eduardo Campos, 24, was charged in three recent Pilsen burglaries.
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Chicago Police Department

COOK COUNTY CRIMINAL COURTHOUSE — A Pilsen man told police he burglarized three neighborhood homes for drug money — and he's sorry about that, prosecutors said Wednesday.

He even wants to return a stolen hat, authorities said.

Officers arrested Eduardo Campos, 24, about 8:30 a.m. Tuesday after they received an anonymous tip from someone who'd seen surveillance footage of a man breaking into a home and recognized the burglar as Campos, police and prosecutors said.

Campos told officers "he was sorry" and wanted to return a hat to the victim of a Feb. 25 break-in who was featured in an NBC5 news segment, according to an arrest report.

Campos later told authorities he'd been burglarizing homes and garages to fund a drug habit, Assistant State's Attorney Lorraine Scaduto said during a bond hearing Wednesday.

The most recent break-in happened about 3:30 p.m. Feb. 25 in the 1300 block of West 18th Place. Campos is accused of stealing two hats and a bookbag. It was this burglary that made local headlines when a homeowner released security footage of Campos.

On Jan. 31, he entered a home in the 2200 block of West Cullerton Street through a side window and stole two laptops and a TV, prosecutors said.

Campos is also accused of stealing tools from a garage in the 1800 block of West 17th Street on Dec. 9.

Campos, of the 1300 block of West 19th Street, is charged with three counts of residential burglary. Cook County Judge Laura Sullivan set bail Wednesday at $125,000.

According to court records, Campos has a pending 2017 case for trespassing and resisting arrest. Police said they arrested Campos about 5:20 p.m. Feb. 15 when they saw him sitting in a stolen vehicle. Campos allegedly flailed his arms to resist arrest.

He also has a pending 2016 case for criminal trespassing and possessing drug paraphernalia in the 2200 block of South Bell Avenue in Heart of Chicago, records show. The next court date is March 31.

Earlier this month, Chicago police alerted Pilsen residents after three home burglaries were reported in the neighborhood in a one-week period.

Three additional home burglaries were reported in the neighborhood in February.