What is the difference between theft and burglary?

Theft and burglary are often used interchangeably, but in legal terms, they are very different crimes. Theft refers to any situation in which an unauthorized individual takes the property of another person with the intent to deprive that person of their property. In other words, a person commits theft if they take another person’s property without their consent, and without the intent of returning the property in the future. On the other hand, burglary refers to any situation in which a person unlawfully enters a building, such as a home or business, with the intent to commit a crime. While it is common for burglary crimes to involve theft, the intended crime can be any crime at all. An individual can be charged with burglary even if they do not end up carrying out the crime that they intended to commit inside the building. If you have any further questions about these legal terms, contact the lawyers at Horst Law.