GRANITE CITY – A man from Wood River who was charged earlier this month with attempted residential burglary has been released from custody after the state “failed to prove” he committed the burglary.
Lawrence A. Oker, 33, of Wood River, was charged with one count of attempted residential burglary on Feb. 11, 2024. Oker allegedly “broke and damaged the windows to a residence” in the 2300 block of Adams Street in Granite City “with the intent to commit therein a theft,” according to court documents.
According to a petition filed to deny Oker’s pretrial release, law enforcement officers responded to a residence in the 2300 block of Adams Street in Granite City in reference to an individual ringing the doorbell of a residence. Officers were notified by the homeowner that the person had since left.
“Officers located the defendant with items from the yard of [the residence],” the petition states. “Upon further inspection of residence, officers located damage indicative of [the] individual attempting to enter residence.”
Oker’s case was presented by the Granite City Police Department, and he was charged with a Class 2 felony for the attempted residential burglary. He was reportedly remanded to jail to be held for his initial appearance, but he has since been released – the state’s petition to deny his pretrial release was denied, according to a release order filed by the Third Judicial Circuit court in Madison County on Feb. 15, 2024.
“The state failed to prove by clear and convincing evidence that the defendant committed the offense of residential burglary as alleged in Count I,” the release order states.
“The defendant rang the doorbell several times and spoke to the homeowner, who was away on vacation, through the Ring camera. The defendant then left the residence and was located nearby by law enforcement.
“The homeowner alleges that upon returning to the home at a later date, a screen and window were found to be damaged. No other evidence was presented to show that the defendant attempted to enter the residence or that the defendant caused damage to the window.”
Given the lack of “clear and convincing” evidence, Oker was ordered by the court to be granted pretrial release.
The issuance of charges is based solely upon probable cause and is not an indication of guilt. All subjects charged with criminal offenses are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
