Police say convicted felon broke in to elderly Cedar Rapids woman's home

A Cedar Rapids man is back behind bars after he burglarized the home of an 81-year-old woman early Tuesday.

Calvin R. Harris, 48, is charged with second-degree burglary and being a habitual felon for allegedly burglarizing the home of Melba Hutchcraft in the 200 block of 24th St. NE.

According to police, Harris rang Hutchcraft's doorbell around 1:20 a.m. while she was watching TV and asked to use her phone. When Hutchcraft refused, Harris told her he needed $10, but she refused to give him any money, police said.

It was then that Harris pushed his way inside, went to the back room and took some of Hutchcraft's property. He left the scene in a van, but police soon found him and three women with the van near the corner of Maplewood Drive and Elmhurst Drive NE.

The van had been reported stolen earlier in the day, but the owner did not want to file any charges against the female driver, police said. The women were not charged in the incident.

Harris has at least two prior felony convictions, according to court documents. He remained at the Linn County Jail on Wednesday in lieu of $25,000 bond.