Burglar nabbed by Waukegan cops following tracks in snow

A 58-year-old Lake County man charged with multiple burglaries was taken into custody Wednesday after police tracked him through the snow in north suburban Waukegan.

Thomas O. Anderson was charged with eight burglaries that took place from Jan. 1 to Feb. 7 and with criminal damage to property at a liquor store in Gurnee, Waukegan police said.

Officers responded to a tripped burglary alarm about 12:15 p.m. at Waukegan Food Mart, 2815 Sunset Ave., and found that the business had been broken into, according to police.

The officers located and tracked fresh footprints in the snow to the 2900 block of Navajo Road, where they found Anderson hiding behind a home, authorities said. The officers took Anderson into custody without incident.

Waukegan police charged Anderson with the following burglaries, all of which happened between 10:40 p.m. and 4:40 a.m.:

• on Jan. 4 at a Shell gas station in the 3400 block of Delany Road;
• on Jan. 10 at Big Daddy Liquor Store in the 2800 block of Grand Avenue;
• on Jan. 20 at Waukegan Food Mart in the 2800 block of Sunset Avenue;
• on Jan. 22 at NAPA Auto Parts in the 3100 block of Grand Avenue;
• on Jan. 25 at NAPA Auto Parts in the 3100 block of Grand Avenue;
• on Jan. 26 at Burris Equipment business in the 2200 block of North Green Bay Road; and
• on Jan. 31 at Tobacco Shop in the 400 block of North Green Bay Road.

Anderson was taken to the Lake Country Jail and was being held on $200,000 bond.

The Gurnee Police Department also charged Anderson with criminal damage to property for breaking a glass door at a liquor store in the 1800 block of Delany Road in Gurnee, authorities said.