Legal Definitions - burglarize

To burglarize means to unlawfully enter a building or dwelling with the specific intent to commit a crime inside, most commonly theft. The act involves both the unauthorized entry and the criminal purpose behind that entry.

• Example 1: A person picks the lock of a neighbor's garage late at night, planning to steal a valuable bicycle stored inside.

  Explanation: This action constitutes burglarizing because the individual unlawfully entered a structure (the garage) with the clear intention of committing a crime (theft of the bicycle) once inside.

• Example 2: An individual smashes the glass door of a closed electronics store after hours, intending to grab several high-end smartphones from the display shelves.

  Explanation: Here, the person burglarized the store by gaining unlawful entry into a commercial building with the specific intent to commit theft of the smartphones.

• Example 3: A disgruntled former employee uses a hidden spare key to enter their old company's office building on a weekend, intending to plant a virus on the company's main server.

  Explanation: This scenario illustrates burglarizing because the former employee unlawfully entered the office building (a non-dwelling structure) with the intent to commit a crime (cyber sabotage) once inside, even though no physical items were intended to be stolen.