A 31-year-old Arnold man wanted in Pevely for allegedly trying to break into a pickup was arrested in Illinois on Jan. 24.
The man is suspected of being part of a group that has committed multiple crimes in Missouri and Illinois, Pevely Police reported.
One of the alleged offenses occurred about 9:15 p.m. Jan. 16 in the 1800 block of Eagle Crest Drive in Pevely, where the Arnold man allegedly tried to get into a vehicle and damaged it before fleeing the scene, the report said.
A witness told officers he saw the suspect trying to gain entry into his neighbor’s pickup. The witness also told police that he said something to the suspect, who then ran to a Budget rental box truck parked nearby, got in it and fled the area.
Officers were called to the scene and discovered evidence connecting the box truck to other crimes in Missouri and Illinois, including car thefts, storage shed break-ins and vehicle break-ins, Pevely Police reported.
The suspect was arrested Jan. 24 driving a box truck in the Collinsville, Ill., area, and police allegedly found $7,375 in stolen items inside the truck. Those items were from a different case, the report said.
Pevely Police are seeking charges against the suspect for burglary, property damage and stealing, as well as other potential charges.
Law enforcement agencies are working “to identify multiple other suspects,” Pevely Police reported.
Anyone with information is asked to call Pevely Police at 636-475-4498.