Police: Man burglarizes same EC home twice in two weeks

Dec. 23—EAU CLAIRE — An Eau Claire man burglarized the same Eau Claire home twice in two weeks to get money to support his methamphetamine addiction, police say.

Christopher A. Lamb, 40, 678 Wisconsin St., was charged Thursday in Eau Claire County Court with two felony counts of burglary, felony counts of uttering a forgery and attempted fraud against a financial institution, and a misdemeanor count of criminal damage to property.

A $1,000 cash bail was set for Lamb, which prohibits him from having contact with the home, its residents or the 900 block of Zephyr Hill Avenue. He cannot have contact with anyone involved in illegal drug activities and must maintain absolute sobriety.

Lamb returns to court Feb. 2.

According to the criminal complaint:

Eau Claire police were sent Dec. 8 to a residence in the 900 block of Zephyr Hill Avenue in response to a burglary.

A woman said she arrived home to find that a basement window had been forced open and the service door to the garage was now unlocked.

The woman and her husband went through the house and missing was a safe that contained their checkbook and $800 in cash, as well as the Social Security cards for themselves and their children.

One of the couple's children called police again on Dec. 21 when he saw a man on surveillance cameras entering his home.

A police officer took a position in the front of the house and heard the garage service door open. A man, wearing a black mask and carrying an orange duffel bag, exited the door. The man, identified as Lamb, was then arrested at gunpoint.

In Lamb's possession was a pry bar and a check belonging to one of the residents that was made out to another man who has been in the Eau Claire County Jail since Nov. 8.

During the second burglary, Lamb entered through the back deck door. The door frame was broken and the hardware to the door had been broken off of the frame.

Items taken from the house were found in Lamb's orange duffel bag.

A police officer spoke with Lamb after he was taken to the jail.

Before the first burglary, Lamb said he was walking east along Seymour Road toward a female acquaintance's residence when he looked up the hill and saw houses. He saw the back of the Zephyr Hill Avenue residence and thought it would be a good house to break into and get money.

He admitted he was broke and needed money to support his drug addiction.

Lamb admitted to taking the safe and making out checks to the jail inmate, which he intended to cash himself. He planned to make himself look like the inmate and try cashing the checks at Walmart.

Lamb said he did not cash any of the checks that he forged.

Lamb said he broke into the home a second time on Dec. 21 because he was still broke and feeling the pressure due to Christmas. This time, Lamb said, he took a change jar and some jewelry.

Lamb said he was then contacted by police as he left the garage.

Lamb is being prosecuted as a repeat offender. He was convicted of a felony count of burglary in May 2021 in Eau Claire County.

If convicted of the felonies, Lamb could be sentenced to up to 21 years in prison.