A Union man has been charged with multiple felonies after several items stolen from the St. Louis Police were found at a home in Crystal City, court records show.
Alexander Johnston, 25, was charged with first-degree burglary, a class B felony; unlawful possession of a firearm, a class C felony; stealing a firearm, a class D felony; stealing an item valued at $750 or more, a class D felony; unlawful possession of an illegal weapon, a class D felony; and stealing, a class A misdemeanor, according to court documents.
Johnston, who had previously been convicted of at least two felonies in Jefferson County, was arrested on April 27 in Fredericktown. Items stolen from the St. Louis Police headquarters were found April 25 in Crystal City, police reported.
According to the case’s probable-cause statement, Johnston allegedly was seen in surveillance video on April 21 entering the parking garage at the St. Louis Police headquarters, 1915 Olive St., by running underneath a gate. He was seen walking around the garage attempting to open vehicle doors before moving out of view.
When Johnston is seen again in surveillance video, he allegedly was wearing a police vest with multiple St. Louis Police patches. He then enters a SWAT bunker, where he loaded two duffle bags with a Remmington shotgun, starter pistol, ammunition and a Penn Arms 6-cylinder pump action 40 mm multi-launcher, which may be used to shoot bean bags and sting ball pellets, the report said.
On April 24, Johnston was allegedly seen in a surveillance video at a Crystal City home. At the home, investigators allegedly found the shotgun, starter pistol, police vest, ammunition and a sweatshirt Johnston was wearing when he entered the police garage, according to the report.
After bringing the items to the home, Johnston said he needed to get out of town, according to a man who lives at the home.
When Johnston was arrested, a witness told police that Johnston had said he was on the run. Johnston also was wearing the same hat and shoes that he had on when he was seen in the garage’s surveillance video, the report said.
Johnston was convicted on felony stealing charges in April and June 2023 in Jefferson County, and he was convicted of first-degree burglary in March 2022 in Franklin County, according to court records.
As of Monday, he was being held without bond at the St. Louis Jail, court documents said.
A class B felony is punishable by five to 10 years in prison, and a class C felony carries a penalty of three to 10 years in prison. A class D felony is punishable by up to seven years in prison, and class A misdemeanor carries a penalty of up to one year in jail and a fine of up to $2,000.