ST. LOUIS — Four people were charged Saturday with attempting to steal utility wires from damaged areas following the recent tornado in St. Louis.
Allen
Garber
The four are among the first people charged in connection to thefts in areas damaged by a mile-wide tornado that ripped through multiple St. Louis neighborhoods on May 16. On Sunday, St. Louis prosecutors charged three other people with looting alcohol from a store damaged by the tornado.
St. Louis police Chief Robert J. Tracy said Saturday that SLMPD has arrested 10 individuals suspected of stealing wire from homes and businesses damaged by the tornado.
According to court documents, Nicholas Allen, 37, of High Ridge and Daniel Garber, 38, of St. Louis County, were arrested Friday after St. Louis police found them attempting to load wire owned by Ameren Missouri and AT&T into a white pickup truck parked in an alleyway in the 1300 block of North Euclid Avenue, in the Fountain Park neighborhood.
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When questioned by police, Allen said he “knew what they were doing was illegal,†according to the probable cause statement.
Both men were on probation and parole: Allen for burglary and Garber for possession of a controlled substance and unlawful possession of a firearm. Garber is also awaiting sentencing in St. Charles County for drug-related crimes.
Both men remain in custody in the St. Louis City Justice Center.
Allen and Garber were each charged with two counts of first-degree tampering with a utility and felony stealing.
Two Granite City residents were also charged in St. Louis after police say they were found with utility equipment on the floor of their van in the 5100 block of Kensington Avenue, in the Academy neighborhood of north St. Louis.
Authorities have identified them as Ashley Kirkover, 29, and Michael Thornton, 44. Police say when questioned, the pair admitted to cutting the utility equipment from the wire and had plans to scrap the metal.
Kirkover and Thornton have been charged with one count of tampering with a utility and remain in the St. Louis City Justice Center.
And on Saturday evening, police arrested three adults and a juvenile who were looting alcohol from a tornado-damaged store in the Ville.
On Sunday, prosecutors charged two St. Louis men and a woman from Hazelwood with burglary, property damage and stealing, all felonies, for breaking into Desta’s Market and Deli at 2503 N. Taylor Ave.
The three people charged were Latoya Booker, 41, of Hazelwood; Akeem Peters, 34, of the 5000 block of Pennsylvania Avenue in south St. Louis; and Larry Moore, 34, of the 4600 block of Aldine Avenue in the Greater Ville. All were being held without bond.
Booker
Booker told police she had been invited to join and the plan was to steal alcohol from the store. Police said around 50 alcoholic beverages had been taken from the store.
“Looting and preying on our community when it’s vulnerable will absolutely not be tolerated,†St. Louis Police spokesman Mitch McCoy said Sunday. “If you come to St Louis and you look to victimize people that have already been impacted, you will be held accountable.â€
Jacob Barker of the Post-Dispatch contributed to this report.
