Man says he committed burglaries to pay lawyer defending him on previous burglary charges

A man who police said has been in and out of jail several times since September is back in jail again, accused of committing half a dozen home burglaries. The arrest affidavits detail two of the cases against Michael Elias, 28, one of which dates back to June of this year. Both happened on the northwest side of the city.

The report shows Elias is a suspect in a June 18 break-in at a home in the 300 block of Cherry Ridge. The resident told police someone had ransacked his home, taking two laptop computers, two video game systems, jewelery and other items.

On Nov. 8, another resident reported a burglary in the 11500 block of Huebner Road in which a 50-inch plasma TV was stolen. Police said they recovered fingerprints from both locations that later proved to be Elias's.

The affidavit shows that after his arrest, Elias told investigators how he had learned to commit burglaries using a crow bar to gain access to homes. Elias also told investigators he had to keep committing the burglaries so he could afford to pay his attorney a $150 weekly fee to keep him out of jail.

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