CHICAGO — Police say a 41-year-old Chicago man is the “”polite bandit”” who repeatedly apologized to a woman while burglarizing her Skokie, Ill., home last month.

Jake C. Smith is charged with felony home invasion in connection with the Aug. 27 break-in and burglary, Skokie police said.

He has also been charged with two other burglaries in the north suburb.

Smith told a woman during the break-in that he was sorry and that he was only doing it because he had been out of work for a long time and needed to support his children, according to police.

The 43-year-old woman had just gotten out of the shower when she walked into the bedroom of her home about 8 a.m. and was confronted by Smith, who was holding a 16-inch pry bar, police said.

“”I’m not going to hurt you, I promise,”” Smith told the woman, according to police. “”I don’t want do to this but I haven’t had a job for so long, and I have three children to support.””

Smith allegedly left with cash and jewelry.

Police on Thursday said Smith was arrested by Skokie and Chicago police at his home Wednesday night. Authorities declined to say what led them to Smith. They also declined to say if Smith has any children, as he had allegedly told the Skokie woman.

“”We had a high importance on this case,”” Skokie Deputy Police Chief Anthony Scarpelli said. “”There’s a certain level of fear that the community endures when something like this happens.””

“”It reassures people to hear that an arrest has been made,”” Scarpelli said. “”They’re less fearful when they know a person has been arrested and charged, and I think the fear level is reduced because the unknown person still isn’t at large.””

Smith is also charged with two counts of residential burglary in connection with early-morning burglaries committed in Skokie earlier this summer, police said.

In the latest case, police say that Smith also told the woman he would call her from a payphone and tell her where he was pawning her jewelry so she could get it back.

The woman was not injured and Smith never did call her, police said.

Smith is scheduled for a bond hearing Friday at the Skokie courthouse.