Wicker Park mail thief has long history of burglaries, officials say

A woman was recently caught on camera prying open mailboxes in a Wicker Park apartment building, and it was revealed that she was already on pretrial release for a similar crime. The woman, Adelaide Cornell, 46, had just finished serving time for a series of burglaries, including stealing Christmas presents from a victim’s home.

Cornell was arrested on February 26 after officers monitoring a surveillance camera witnessed her using a screwdriver to force open the entrance to a residential building on North Ashland Avenue. She proceeded to pry open mailboxes inside the building’s vestibule. When officers arrived at the scene, they found Cornell sitting in her Buick Encore nearby. A search of her car uncovered multiple screwdrivers and 16 sets of keys, along with a screwdriver wedged next to the driver’s seat.

Charged with burglary and possession of burglary tools, Cornell appeared at a detention hearing where Judge James Costello ordered her to be held without bond. The judge noted that she had been on pretrial release for a similar crime and had a history of multiple incarcerations.

Cornell had previously committed a burglary spree under the name Adelaide Tamayo. In 2024, she pleaded guilty to a series of home break-ins across Bucktown and Lakeview, as well as a phone harassment charge for threatening a victim who had posted surveillance images of her on social media.

The crimes committed by Tamayo included forcibly removing a Ring doorbell camera from a condo building, stealing packages from residential buildings, breaking into storage units, and stealing Christmas presents from a victim’s home. She was also involved in breaking into a car in a residential building’s garage.

In addition to the burglary charges, Tamayo was also charged with phone harassment for sending threatening messages to a victim. She pleaded guilty to six counts of burglary and one count of phone harassment and was sentenced to four years for the burglaries and three years for the harassment charge.

The incident serves as a reminder of the importance of safeguarding personal belongings and being vigilant in residential areas. It also highlights the consequences of engaging in criminal activities and the impact it can have on victims.