ILLINOIS — A 27-year-old Urbana woman has been arrested in connection with at least five burglaries at the same apartment complex over the past month.
According to Detective Lieutenant David Roesch with the Urbana Police Department, officers first received a report of a residential burglary at an apartment complex in the 1000 block of West University Avenue on Jan. 27. In the weeks that followed, police responded to six additional incidents at the same complex involving residential burglary and unlawful use of a credit card.
The investigation led to the arrest of Elizabeth Gaw, 27, on Feb. 20 for incidents that occurred on Feb. 3. Police said they had probable cause to charge her in five of the cases. She was charged with residential burglary and unlawful use of a credit card.
After reviewing the arrest report, the Champaign County State’s Attorney’s Office formally charged Gaw with residential burglary. During a court appearance Monday, she entered a plea of not guilty and requested a jury trial.
A pretrial detention hearing in the case has been continued until Wednesday at 10 a.m.
Gaw also faces a separate case involving three counts of burglary stemming from Jan. 30. The Urbana Police Department was the arresting agency in that case as well. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for March 12.
Police are reminding residents to keep their apartments locked at all times, even in buildings they believe are secure, to help prevent similar incidents.
