Crime & Safety

Weird Crime: Chicken Rustler and a Serial Meat Thief

A round-up of odd and unusual crimes in the St. Louis area.

Chicken Thief Grabs 75 Birds

A man hired to watch over chickens at a farm on Old Highway 141 in Fenton, stole 75 of the birds instead, according to police.

The theft occurred on Oct. 30 and followed a dispute between the property owner and the man who was to watch over the chickens, police said.

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Meat is His Undoing

A University City man faces criminal charges after police said he tried to steal porterhouse steaks from a  grocery store. The man put two packages of porterhouse steaks down his pants. He recently had been released from jail after serving a one-year sentence for stealing meat.

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Family Fingered Following Funeral

Almost $7,000 was reported stolen after a Barnhart woman invited family members over to her house after her husband's funeral on Nov. 10. The victim told officers with the Jefferson County Sheriff's Department that she noticed several items missing after family members left her home. Among the items missing were $600 in cash and several pieces of jewelry, including a man's gold wedding band.

Moving Violation

A man who enlisted help in moving into a new residence Oct. 22 on River Road, Fenton, ended up as the victim of a theft as one of his helpers drove off in his car with numerous of his personal items. After loading up his personal items and arriving at the new residence, a woman helper drove off in the man's car that was filled with his personal items, valued at $1,339. The man was able to reach the woman by phone, asking her to return with his vehicle and the items. She reportedly returned some of the belongings and the car but left again and would not answer any subsequent phone calls. Police located the woman and she was subsequently arrested on charges unrelated to the "moving day" incident.

For the "No Good Deed Goes Unpunished" File

A Valley Park woman who gave a ride to a couple, one of whom was walking with the aid of a walker, on a cold, windy day Nov. 11, had her car stolen and subsequently wrecked by the man she was trying to help. St. Louis County Police said the woman gave a ride to a 34-year-old man, who was using a broken walker, and his female companion.

The Good Samaritan woman offered to give them a ride and told them she had a walker at her home, which she no longer needed, and would give it to them. She drove the couple to her home and left her keys in the car with the motor running. St. Louis County Police said the man Null then jumped into the driver's seat and took the car. When the woman returned with the walker and two coats for the couple, her 2009 Ford Escape was gone.

No Return Policy

A thief made it easy for police to track him down after he broke into several cars in Oakville in November -- he dropped his ID card at the scene of one of the car break-ins. Police tracked him down and searched his room, where they found a variety of stolen items, including six GPS units, three iPods, a Dell laptop computer, a credit card and several other items. Police also found oxycodone pills. He was arrested.

A St. Charles man suspected a man he was selling marijuana to was an undercover police officer, and gave the buyer his money back. It turns out the buyer indeed was an undercover drug task force detective, and he didn't take refunds. Instead, the detective searched the man's premises a week later and found enough evidence to charge him with distribution of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia.

When Poodles Attack

A man who was standing in his back yard on Melton Avenue in Arnold was attacked by his neighbor’s poodle. The dog bit the man on the lower right leg causing a large laceration. Animal control responded and seized the dog and issued its owner a summons for a leash law violation.

Office Furniture Caper

A building superintendent and three accomplices are accused Nov. 15 of stealing $75,000 in office furniture from a company that was changing headquarters. Maryland Heights Police said they caught the four after the superintendent listed the furniture on Craigslist.

Stolen Buick Exchanged For Stolen Chevy

Five people who are accused of stealing cars from two St. Louis automobile dealerships, left one of the stolen vehicles behind at one of the dealerships. Eleven cars were stolen in all, most of which were subsequently parked in various location in the city and county. One of the cars stolen from the Lou Fusz Buick GMC dealership, however, was recovered at the Johnny Londoff Chevrolet dealership in Florissant.

 

Trashed Patron Trashes Can

An intoxicated man was refused entry in Ameristar Casino around 2:20 a.m. Nov. 17 and destroyed a trash can.

Chump Change

 An unknown person entered victim’s garage and took approximately $2 in various change from the vehicle. Nothing else was missing.

Lug Nut Thief

Thirty-two chrome lug nuts, valued at more than $300, were stolen off a vehicle Nov. 10 at Lakeside Plaza in Lake Saint Louis.

Movie Talker

One moviegoer punched another in the face Nov. 12 at the Great Escape Theater, in Fenton, for talking too much during the movie.


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