Farmington police clear up several crimes

FARMINGTON – Reports are to be sent in coming days to the county prosecuting attorney’s office regarding several ongoing investigations which have cleared up several crimes in recent months.

Police are seeking charges, some felony counts, on a half-dozen people or more in relation to three separate investigations.

The first case involves a theft from a restaurant near the Maple Valley area on Aug. 17 of this year. Three men, ranging in age from 18 to 22, face counts of misdemeanor stealing for burglarizing a storage building and taking approximately $209 worth of alcohol.

Police records show the three apparently forced their way into a holding area where liquor was stored sometime on the evening of Aug. 16 or early the next morning. They stole two kegs of beer and several cartons and cases of assorted liquor.

Investigators learned that the three men took the beer to a remote area in or around Farmington and drank the majority of it over a two day period. All three suspects apparently lived near the restaurant.

The second case involves two stolen vehicles taken and wrecked on the night of Sept. 26. In that case, a tip from a concerned citizen led officers to two men – a 20-year-old Farmington man, and a 20-year-old Fredericktown man – who apparently stole two vehicles and wrecked each after a short “joy ride”.

The stolen vehicles, a Ford pickup and Pontiac Grand Am, were both damaged before being abandoned and later discovered by police. The Grand Am was driven off A Street, through a residential fence and into the support pillars of the porch of a home. The truck, taken a short time later, was crashed into a mobile home on Maple Street, then abandoned on North Alexander when it apparently stalled in the roadway.

Police Chief Rick Baker said it’s likely charges of first degree tampering, leaving the scene of a motor vehicle accident and first degree property damage will be filed on the two men.

The third crime cleared by investigation involves the burglary of the P.A.T.H. Center on Maple Street. Workers reported a burglary of the building on July 29 of this year. Police quickly found a suspect, but required several months to gather enough evidence to file charges on the three men allegedly involved.

This time the department is seeking charges on two Farmington men, ages 20 and 22, and a 19-year-old Desloge man. Counts being sought include second degree burglary, stealing and property damage.

Police records from July show officers investigated the burglary at the business and found several items had been taken after entry had been forced into the office area. Items stolen included cash, a safe, DVDs, a karaoke machine, and a drill with charger and case.

Total value of the items added up to $2,300.

Baker said the first clue in the case was an easy one. A driver’s license was left behind during the burglary. That suspect was picked up almost immediately, but reportedly claimed a sweatshirt had been stolen which included his driver’s license in a pocket.

Further collection of evidence from the scene, combined with information gathered from questioning suspects and informants, recently led the officers back to the first suspect. Officers also picked up and questioned the other two men – eventually determining there was enough evidence to show the involvement of all three.

The police chief said he is pleased with the outcome of the three cases and that all were eventually solved and those responsible for the damage and destruction will hopefully have to now answer for their crimes.