ALTON – A Godfrey man faces his latest felony charges after breaking into an Alton home and stealing a set of Apple AirPods which later led officers to his exact location.
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Eric M. Compton, 35, of Godfrey, was charged on Jan. 9, 2026 with a Class 1 felony count of residential burglary, a Class 4 felony count of possession of burglary tools, and three counts of theft, each Class 4 felonies.
On Jan. 7, 2026, Compton allegedly knowingly entered an Alton residence in the 3200 block of Alby Street with the intent to commit a theft. He is accused of stealing multiple pieces of property including checkbooks, a passport, a vehicle title, and other documents from three different victims.
At the time of this latest offense, Compton was reportedly in possession of prybars, gloves, drill bits, and keys suitable for use in breaking into a building. He had been previously convicted of attempted burglary in a prior Madison County felony case from 2024.
A petition to deny Compton’s pretrial release from custody in this case was filed by the Madison County State’s Attorney’s Office.
According to the petition, the victim told authorities her home had been broken into while she was out of town and that multiple items, including a set of AirPods, were missing. Responding officers found signs of forced entry into the home and reviewed video showing a while male leave the home with multiple bags.
The victim was able to track the location of the stolen AirPods to an apartment complex. Officers made contact with another resident of the apartment, who confirmed Compton lived there and consented to a search.
“Officers located the stolen goods, including the AirPods,” the petition states. “Officers also found defendant's bag, shown on camera, which contained prybars and other burglary tools.”
Compton was then arrested and found in possession of stolen items from multiple recent burglaries, though Compton claimed he “bought the stolen items on the street.”
The Alton Police Department presented the case against Compton, who currently remains in custody at the Madison County Jail.
All individuals charged are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
