Sterling man gets jail, probation in mall burglary

MORRISON – A Sterling man jailed since his arrest in July is free after being sentenced for burglarizing a Northland Mall store.

Erik Dunaven, 34, pleaded guilty Jan. 7 to one count of burglary and was sentenced to 4 years of probation and 180 days in jail. He was given credit for time served and released.

In October, he pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of telephone harassment and was sentenced to 180 days in jail.

A masked man broke into UOI after hours July 5 and stole more than $800 in clothing. A witness later identified Dunaven from surveillance video. He was arrested July 12 in Rockford after a woman told police where he was.

After he was booked in the Whiteside County Jail, he called the woman and left a threatening voice mail.

Dunaven has a long and varied criminal history in Whiteside County.

In 2007, he was sentenced to 33 months in prison for aggravated battery. That sentence ran concurrently with a 3-year sentence for obstruction in Lee County.

He was sentenced to 3 years in 2006 for resisting a peace officer; 3 years in 2004 for retail theft and 5 years in 1999 for escape and aggravated battery. He was sentenced to 3 years in 1997 for aggravated battery to a peace officer and 3 years for forgery.

He got 2 years probation for disorderly conduct in 1995, and 2 years in prison in 1994 for theft.