Man Won't Stop Burglarizing Joliet Businesses As Dan's Candies, Banana Joe's Among Latest: Prosecutors

JOLIET, IL —After spending much of last fall and another five days in late March inside Will County's Jail, 32-year-old Christopher Covelli is back roaming the city's west side business districts, victimizing more of Joliet's long-standing businesses, Covelli's latest batch of criminal charges show.

In recent days, the Will County State's Attorney's Office has opened several new felony cases against Covelli because he continues to commit more burglaries against Joliet's businesses, court records allege.

According to his Joliet Police criminal complaint, Covelli is charged with burglary on April 4 at the Dan's Candies at 1003 Plainfield Road. As Joliet Patch has previously reported, Covelli has repeatedly been accused of burglarizing multiple businesses on the same night.

Covelli is charged with another April 4 burglary at the Benjamin Moore paint store at 928 Plainfield Road. Covelli also faces two counts of criminal damage to property, accusing him of damaging the doors to Dan's Candies and the Benjamin Moore store, with damages in each case exceeding $500.

Four days later, Covelli was back at it again, prosecutors said. According to that particular criminal complaint, Covelli is accused of criminal property damage to the Johansen and Anderson heating and air-conditioning repair business on April 8, and in that crime, his damage to the business door exceeded $500.

Prosecutors also charged Covelli with a number of crimes at the end of March. He is charged with a burglary at the Banana Joe's barbershop at 718 North Raynor Ave. on March 30, and on the same date, he is charged with a burglary at The Hair Zoo at 722 North Raynor Ave. Also on March 30, in addition to victimizing Banana Joe's and The Hair Zoo, Covelli burglarized the Oxbo Mufflers at 700 Plainfield Road in Joliet, his charges allege.

Prosecutors charged Covelli with criminal damage to property for damaging the doors to Banana Joe's, The Hair Zoo and Oxbo Mufflers during the alleged March 30 burglary spree, and the door damage in all three cases exceeded $500, court files show. Next, Covelli is charged with a second criminal damage to property at Oxbo Mufflers because he damaged their security system, and that damage topped $500, prosecutors allege.

Joliet police obtained a warrant to arrest Covelli from Will County Judge James Harvey on April 17, but as of Tuesday afternoon, Covelli remains free. He comes from the 900 block of Joliet's North Raynor Avenue, his warrant shows.

Upon his capture, Judge Harvey has ordered that Covelli will be kept in the Will County Jail. The warrant for his release indicates Covelli has no place of employment.

Covelli was the subject of a Dec. 18 in-depth Joliet Patch crime story with the following headline: Joe's Hot Dogs, Other Joliet, Crest Hill Businesses Hit By Burglar On Ankle Monitor: Prosecutor