Community Corner
Son of Accident Victim Charged with Felony Burglary
Gordon Bittner, Jr. is facing felony burglary charges. His father, Gordon Bittner, Sr., was injured in a motorcycle accident earlier this month.
Mount Pleasant police say Gordon Bittner, Jr. and a friend face felony burglary charges after a computer they stole gave away their location.
Bittner is the son of real estate agent Gordon Bittner, who was seriously injured in a motorcycle accident earlier this month.
Bittner, 20, and Stephen Cable, 21, were charged in Racine County Circuit Court Monday with a single felony burglary charge each. If convicted, they each face 12-1/2 years in jail and/or up to $25,000 in fines.
Bittner also faces a single count of misdemeanor bail jumping because he was out on a $300 signature bond for a midemeanor charge of telecommunications fraud. He faces an additional nine months in jail and/or up to $10,000 in fines for the bail jumping charge.
According to the criminal complaint, Bittner and Cable broke into the home of some of Bittner's former Park High School classmates on April 28 while the residents were out of town for a concert.
Mount Pleasant police say Bittner and Cable used a screen door to gain entrance to the house and kicked in the doors of individual bedrooms to take away:
- 42" LED flat screen television
- 32" LCD flat screen television
- 2 Playstation 3 gaming systems
- Another 42" flat screen television
- 10 Blu-Ray movies
- Silver Watch
- MacBook Pro Air laptop computer
On May 28, police say the man got a message that the registration on the laptop had been changed to Bittner's name and that the computer was located at a business on Douglas Avenue. When the man and another resident of the house arrived at the location, the business was closed but they said they could see people inside.
Police say an officer responded to a theft complaint where Bittner was the victim. Investigators, however, believe the victims of the burglary set up the scenario to try and catch Bittner and get their property back.
Investigators learned that Bittner contacted another individual to help him sell the stolen goods. According to the witness, he arranged to meet Bittner at an address on Layard Avenue in the City of Racine but when two of the victims appeared, Bittner fled the scene. This witness also helped police identify Cable as Bittner's accomplice in the burglary, the complaint reads.
When police interviewed Cable, he told them he knew Bittner from high school and he admitted to his part in the burglary.
Bittner remains in the Racine County Jail on a $1,000 cash bond. He will next be in court on the burglary and bail jumping charges on June 26. His next court date for the fraud charge is July 9.
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