A homeless man pleaded guilty Tuesday to stealing two laptop computers from a storage area of the Main Library on July 13.

Jason Dalton, 40, has been sentenced to two years of probation.

The laptops have a combined value of over $1,000, said Pat Wade, communications director for the University of Illinois Police Department, and they have not been recovered. 

On July 25, a library employee reported that two laptops were missing from the storage room to the University of Illinois Police Department. 

Through surveillance footage, investigators captured an image of Dalton walking out of the library on July 13 with two bags slung over his shoulder. 

Dalton was arrested on Sept. 26 on the charges of burglary and theft of property greater than $500. 

The hallway to the storage room in the Main Library is a publicly accessible space. Wade credits the University security system and its nearly 2,000 cameras for quickly helping the case. 

“I would actually say this case is an example of the system working because we were able to identify that offender and hold that person accountable,” Wade said. 

Heather Murphy, chief communications officer for the Main Library responded to the arrest in an email statement.

“The University Library is pleased existing security measures (i.e. security camera footage) proved effective in catching the individual who stole two laptops from the Main Library this summer,” she said. “We continue to urge our patrons never to leave their valuables unattended.”

In a separate case, Dalton pleaded guilty for possession of heroin. He also has three prior convictions of burglary and one for criminal damage to property. 

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Editor’s notes: A previous version of this article stated that Pat Wade was a communications officer; however, his title is communications director. 

A previous version of this article stated that the storage room was publicly accessible; however, it’s the hallway to the storage room that is. The Daily Illini regrets these errors.