I used to be a lawyer (CA Bar member, but inactive for 25 years) and just retired as a federal LEO - in other words, not qualified to do anything and this is not legal advice, merely a somewhat educated opinion. State statutes can vary, but "breaking and entering" is typically analogous with burglary which generally requires entering a dwelling and having the intent to commit another crime (typically theft). Although some states have statutes about burglarizing other types of buildings (business, detatched garage, etc), I don't think a cage in a building you are permissibly inside could ever constitute a dwelling.I'm not a lawyer... however I don't think there is anything illegal about opening a locked cage without permission. But beware if you get caught, you could be asked to leave the store, banned from the store and/or even trespassed off the property by police at minimum.
Stealing on the other hand is for sure a crime. Or at least it should be.
That said, the codes are going to vary by store. Having been an HD employee before and after these stupid cages were installed, I can guarantee they are not always associated with the store number.
Saw this earlier on the news;
California crime ring stole over 600 times from Home Depot stores — swiping $4M in goods
Ventura County officials on Tuesday announced charges against nine members of the group, who carried out the largest theft spree in Home Depot’s history.nypost.com
All that said, there is no illegal entry into a building and no intent to commit another crime by opening the case to purchase some wire. While there may be some other applicable laws that could potentially be charged (trespassing perhaps, but doubtful), nobody is being convicted of Breaking and Entering for retrieving wire to go purchase at the register. And in reality, I can't see anybody ever being charged with anything so long as it is clear there was the intent to purchase.
But as others have said, Home Depot may not like what you are doing or they may think you are trying to steal something even if you aren't. As you stated, they may ask you to leave the store or ban you.
That said, if I have to wait long enough, I'm going to try it.
