SALT LAKE CITY — A man who prosecutors say has been arrested 33 times already is now accused of breaking into the Sundance Catalog Outlet Store.
Joseph Richard Jimenez, Jr., 55, was charged Tuesday in 3rd District Court with theft, a second-degree felony; burglary, a third-degree felony; and causing property damage, a class B misdemeanor.
On July 4, employees of the Sundance store, 2201 S. Highland Drive, arrived at work and "saw a smashed window and broken display cases, and several pieces of jewelry were missing. (Police) observed that the front window had been smashed in with a large brick, and several glass display cases were also broken into," according to charging documents.
Video from security cameras recorded a man throwing a brick through the window about 3:30 a.m., who then "kicked and punched the glass to create a hole large enough to crawl through. Once inside the store, the suspect went directly over to the jewelry counter and used the brick to smash the display cases. The suspect selected several items from each display case and put them into a large black backpack, then left through the same hole in the window," the charges state.
DNA from blood found on the display cases and frames was collected. Police used that evidence to link Jimenez to the crimes and also identified him in the video by his "distinct way of moving through the store."
Prosecutors say Jimenez's criminal history includes "33 prior arrests with 21 convictions, several of which are theft or fraud related," according to the charges.
