A 30-year-old Arnold man was arrested after St. Louis County Police found him in an SUV stolen from an Arnold auto body shop. The 2021 Toyota 4Runner was stolen from Five Star Auto Body, 1535 Big Bill Road, Arnold Police reported.
Between 8:20 p.m. March 3 and 9 a.m. March 4, someone entered the business through an access hatch on the roof and turned off the company’s surveillance system before stealing the SUV. The business owner said after he noticed the SUV was missing when he arrived at work on March 4, he discovered someone had entered a room where the building’s surveillance system is stored and unplugged the camera system, the report said.
When the camera system was restarted, surveillance video showed people on the parking lot the night of March 3. Investigators believe someone climbed a cage around a ladder that leads to the roof and entered the building through the hatch, according to the report.
The man was arrested at about 3:15 p.m. March 4 when he reportedly was found in the SUV in Valley Park. He was held by St. Louis County Police on a charge for first-degree tampering, Cpl. Brett Ackermann said.
Arnold Police had encountered the man twice before. Once, he reportedly was escorted out of Walmart, 2201 Michigan Ave., after employees believed he was trying to steal from the store, and once he allegedly was seen looking into vehicles parked outside the Texas Roadhouse restaurant, 806 Arnold Commons Drive, according to the report.
He said Arnold Police will seek charges against the man through the Jefferson County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office for second-degree burglary and stealing a motor vehicle.