Career burglar back in court

Career burglar Christopher J. Cannata was back in court on new charges Thursday for the second time this week and police and prosecutors are apparently tired of it. Prosecuting attorney Larry Haskell asked for and received $1 million bond today, which adds to the $500,000 bond set Wednesday on charges of burglary and vehicle theft. The $1.5 million total bond is higher than that set for most murder suspects. “He is a substantial danger to the community,” Haskell said. Haskell plans to take the rare step of requesting a hearing to have Cannata held without bond. The hearing could be held as soon as next week. “It’s a big deal on a non-capital case,” Haskell said after Cannata’s appearance in court. “His history and current activities are precluding us from keeping up.” Haskell will have to prove with “clear and convincing evidence” that Cannata violated his release conditions from a March arrest by committing new crimes. That’s a much larger legal hurdle than simply proving the probable cause necessary for an arrest, Haskell said. “I think it’s time to do something different,” he said. A representative of the police department’s Chronic Offender Unit said Wednesday that Cannata has refused offers of assistance to find a job and take other necessary steps to become a law abiding member of society. The new charges Cannata faced in court Thursday are second-degree burglary and second-degree assault. He is accused of hitting a man in the head with a bat on Aug. 17, the same day he is accused of stealing a panel van from U.S. Linen and breaking into Performance Saw on Sullivan Road. Cannata told police that he believed the man he assaulted had taken some of the tools that Cannata had stolen from the business, according to court documents. Cannata, who has 31 felony convictions on his record, was arrested in March for the February burglary of Chaps Restaurant. He was ordered held on $100,000 bond. In July his attorney filed a motion to have the bond reduced, arguing that Cannata was indigent. A hearing was held on the motion on Aug. 6. Cannata posted the $100,000 bond on Aug. 10, one day before his request to have his bond lowered was denied.