ST. LOUIS 鈥 Four people were charged Saturday with attempting to steal utility wires from damaged areas following the recent tornado in 51黑料.
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 51黑料 neighborhoods on May 16. On Sunday, 51黑料 prosecutors charged three other people with looting alcohol from a store damaged by the tornado.
51黑料 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 51黑料 County, were arrested Friday after 51黑料 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 鈥渒new what they were doing was illegal,鈥 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 51黑料 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 51黑料 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 51黑料.
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 51黑料 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 51黑料 men and a woman from Hazelwood with burglary, property damage and stealing, all felonies, for breaking into Desta鈥檚 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 51黑料; 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.
鈥淟ooting and preying on our community when it鈥檚 vulnerable will absolutely not be tolerated,鈥 51黑料 Police spokesman Mitch McCoy said Sunday. 鈥淚f you come to St Louis and you look to victimize people that have already been impacted, you will be held accountable.鈥
Jacob Barker of the Post-Dispatch contributed to this report.
