RACINE – A Racine man faces charges in connection with a series of burglaries committed in late December and early January, according to court documents. Dustin Lee Brannon, 39, faces five counts of burglary of a building or dwelling according to a criminal complaint filed on Jan. 25 in Racine County Circuit Court.
Brannon was on extended supervision from a 2017 burglary conviction at the time of his Jan. 24 arrest, according to the complaint.
Authorities accuse Brannon of the burglaries at Port of Call Liquor, 918 West Blvd., on Dec. 22; Infusino’s Pizzeria, 3301 Washington Ave., on Dec. 27; BP Gas Station, 3900 Durand Ave., on Jan. 11; and Open Pantry, 3441 Spring Street, on Jan. 20, and again on Jan. 24.
Following the Jan. 24 burglary, Racine Police officers, who had already identified Brannon as a suspect, sent officers to a residence on Orchard Street to speak with Brannon. Two officers identified Brannon driving a Chrysler 200 sedan. He drove off and managed to elude officers, who drove back to the Orchard Street address. They then spotted his car outside, according to the complaint.
While officers spoke with another occupant inside the home, Brannon tried to sneak out a rear window of the address. But police arrested him and took him into custody. The officers found cash in his apartment and cash registers from other burglaries in his car, according to the complaint.
In the case of each burglary, rocks or other objects were used to break glass doors and gain entry to the building. Each burglary was recorded on security cameras. The burglar – whom Racine Police identified as Brannon based on matching clothing and security camera footage – took or attempted to remove cash from registers. In some cases, the registers themselves were stolen.
The burglar also removed cigarettes and liquor from the Port of Call location.
Each count carries a maximum sentence of 12 years and six months upon conviction. They also carry an enhancer, which could increase the penalty by six years because of prior felony convictions.
Cash bond was set at $20,000 following a video conference hearing on Friday, according to the Wisconsin Circuit Court Access website.
A preliminary hearing in the case is scheduled for Thursday at 8:45 a.m., according to the Wisconsin Circuit Court Access website.
