Downers Grove man sentenced to 17 years for three break-ins

A Downers Grove man was sentenced Sept. 7 to 17 years in prison for breaking into two DuPage County residences and one business in late 2019.

Jay Mendoza, 40, of the 7600 block of Bein Bridge, in May entered a blind plea of guilty to two counts of residential burglary and one count of burglary. He will be required to serve 50% of his sentence before being eligible for parole, according to a DuPage County State’s Attorney’s Office news release.

Downers Grove police on Sept. 23, 2019, responded to a burglary call at a local business. An investigation found that when the office manager arrived at work that morning, she noticed the door had been forced open and a bank zipper envelope containing $200 to $300 was taken as well as a credit card and a gas card, according to the release. Additionally, two slot machines were taken and another two slot machines were damaged.

The following day, Elmhurst police responded to a report of a residential burglary. When the residents arrived home from work, they found their back door was forced open. Multiple items were missing, including a laptop computer, a tablet, earrings and coins. The total value of the missing items was estimated at $930, authorities said.

Oak Brook police on Oct. 9, 2019, were dispatched to a home for a residential burglary. Police discovered a broken window on the south side of the house. More than $60,000 worth of property was stolen from the residence, which sustained about $10,000 worth of damage, according to the release.

Further investigation into the break-ins led to Mendoza as a suspect in the crimes. He was arrested a short time later and bond was set at $350,000 for all three cases. He has been held in custody at the DuPage County Jail since that time.

“In addition to stealing valuables from his victims and causing thousands of dollars’ worth of damage, Mr. Mendoza’s actions also robbed his victims and the community of the feeling of safety and security that a home provides,” DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin said in the release.