A man recently released from jail in California faces attempted burglary charges after he allegedly attempted to break into a home in the 500 block of Longcommon Road, Riverside last week.

According to Assistant Police Chief Thomas Weitzel, the man they arrested, William Natel, 47, has a long history of burglary arrests and convictions stretching from Chicago to California. Natel, whose last known permanent address was in Chicago, has been arrested 12 times for residential burglary and convicted seven times.

On June 1 just after 9:15 a.m., police received a 911 call from a woman who said there was a man trying to break into her home by prying open the back door. A North Riverside officer who happened to be at 26th Street and Harlem Avenue responded to the call and reportedly saw the man attempting to break into the house.

When the man saw the officer, he fled on foot towards 26th Street and attempted to hide in some bushes along the railroad tracks, but was apprehended there. At the scene of the attempted break in, police recovered a bicycle and a backpack containing tools and a key to the bike’s lock.

He was charged with attempted residential burglary, possession of burglary tools, resisting arrest and obstructing an officer. On June 2, a Cook County Circuit Court judge set Natel’s bond at $25,000. As of Monday afternoon, he was in custody at Cook County Jail.

Weitzel said that Natel came to Riverside on bicycle, and was apparently riding around the village for about an hour prior to the burglary call. Natel reportedly rang the door bell at the Longcommon Road address repeatedly before attempting to gain access.

“He had already forced open the screen door,” Weitzel said, adding Natel was allegedly trying to pry open the inside door when police arrived.

The homeowner didn’t answer the door, because she was showering at the time, Weitzel said.

In a statement on Monday, Weitzel addressed the issue of answering the door even when you’re not expecting someone.

“It is a good practice that if you are home, you should let the person who is ringing the door bell know that someone is inside the home,” he stated. “This does not mean that you must answer the door. You can talk through the door/glass and find out what the person wants.

“In all cases, call the police if you have any concerns about the subject at your door.”