About this column:
CRIMINAL MINDS is a column that explores the curious crimes that plague our neighborhoods. This is a roundup of odd and unusual crimes that were reported by local law enforcement from municipalities throughout the metro St. Louis area in recent weeks.What the Well-Dressed Bad Guy Wears A woman in Arnold reported that a man dressed like a ninja entered her home, went into the bedroom, stole a computer, iPhone, iPad and $1,000 in cash. He then fled. St. Peters police officers were asked to keep an eye on car washes on patrol routes after a string of burglaries at the businesses when a man showed up at a car wash July 18 wearing a ski mask and carrying a crowbar. Wearing a ski mask in the middle of a heat wave didn't add up. A police officer on a stakeout across the street from the car wash thought so, too. He called in other police officers…
Sounds Like Someone Needs A Dale Carnegie CourseOn July 30, police received a report of a man barging into a residence in Maryland Heights uninvited, presenting the elderly resident with a business card. The subject allegedly suggested the resident redo the kitchen floor and have the trees trimmed, and then allegedly picked up money on the kitchen table. Stealing a Truck, One Piece at a TimeIn St. Peters between Aug. 7-13, a tailgate was stolen from 2009 Ford truck. You're a Little Early. The House Isn't Finished YetTwo mattresses and a big-screen TV were dumped at a construction site in …
The Neighbor from Hell In Chesterfield, a 44-year-old woman was intoxicated when she parked her car on her neighbor's lawn on Greenberry Hill Lane on June 5. She then entered the wrong house, claiming it was hers. Bacon Makes Everything Better Alcohol and bacon rarely go together but were both found crammed into a thief's pants when loss prevention staff detained the thief with items at the Affton Schnucks Market on May 28. Xbox Tastes on a Chocolate Milk Budget St. Charles police gave the following account of a night of crime for a 25-year-old man who ultimately was arrested: The man stole …
Home Depot Employee Was a 'Changed' Woman A Ballwin woman was charged March 21 with stealing more than $98,000 in change from her employer, Home Depot in Ellisville. Court documents indicate the woman, Janet Sanguinett, 51, placed orders for coins for her employer between 2006 and 2009 as part of her duties as a vault associate. Rather than stock and log the coins' arrival, however, Sanguinett "pocketted" the change. She eventually confessed. Tale of Two Caravans One Maryland Heights homeowner is relieved while another became a victim of a car thief on March 26. The thief apparently had a …
Baby's First Bust or I Don't Know How Those 128 Items Got There Three adults and a juvenile were arrested March 1 after leaving a Gravois Bluffs store without paying for 128 items concealed in their shopping cart, under a baby in a car seat. A search turned up 94 items of kids clothing, three toys, three items of men's clothing, four intimate clothing items, six items of women's clothing, nine items of junior clothing, four domestic items, one stationary item and four pairs of shoes for a total of $2,264.81. Wondering If They Were the Sharpest Knives in the Drawer Police in Affton arrested …
This week's installation of the strange, wacky and weird crimes that occurred throughout St. Louis County includes some pretty interesting stuff. Get a load below. When Fired, Some Don't Care About Anything But Getting Even Hazelwood Police responded to a call of an ex-employee sending threats through an online social media networking site to a business in the 750 block of Dunn Road on Feb 7. Thieves Take Too Long, Get Caught in the Act Florissant police arrested four people who were believed to be involved in a second-degree burglary Feb. 27. Police responded to a burglary in the 1st block …
One Plowed Resident Arrested When His Driveway Wasn’t A Brentwood police arrested a 28-year-old man Feb. 5 for assault and peace disturbance who was not happy that a plow truck driver wouldn’t clear his driveway on White Avenue. Burglar Performs Community Service In many neighborhoods, setting out large, broken or worn out items at the curb is an almost guaranteed way for them to be claimed by someone, especially if it has a “free” sign attached. In Ballwin, a burglar saved one homeowner the trouble. Ballwin police reported a burglary on Jan. 28 where a broken plasma TV was stolen from a …
Someone Really Wanted to go Duck Hunting Police responded to a theft at Cabela's at St. Louis Mills Mall Dec. 29. The suspect stole a duck call. If you didn't have the money, couldn't you have imitated the noise yourself? We've all seen Daffy Duck cartoons, right? He Must Have Needed the Money to Buy a Clue If you are handcuffed and being detained in a sheriff’s deputy cruiser it’s probably not the best idea to steal the deputy’s wallet. But that’s what one man did after the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department arrested a suspect in a series of electronics and stereo equipment thefts Jan. 17…
