A 12-year-old and his friend were sleeping in a room near where an intruder allegedly stole items from a home in the 1800 block of Debbie Drive in High Ridge. The burglary happened between midnight Sept. 3 and 7:30 a.m. Sept. 4, the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office reported.
The victim told authorities that the children were sleeping “approximately 5 feet from items that were taken,” a report said.
The thief may have gotten into the home through an unlocked back door and then stole a 70-inch LED television; a Playstation 4; 60-plus Playstation games; a Samsung sound system; a white gold and three-karat diamond men’s wedding ring; a pair of men’s Nike sandals; a pair of black Puma shoes; an iPhone 7; as well as a $100 bill stolen from a truck parked in the driveway and a small surveillance camera. Those items were valued at $13,120, according to the report.
Several neighbors told deputies someone went through their vehicles during the same general time period, but the neighbors did not want to file a report. In addition, what looked like two men inside a red minivan with Iowa plates were spotted in the neighborhood around 2 a.m., the report said.
Cpl. Matthew Moore of the Sheriff’s Office said Thursday (Sept. 14) that three juvenile suspects were questioned in the case and referred to juvenile authorities. The Puma shoes and the iPhone have been recovered, he said.
Anyone with information about the theft is asked to call the Sheriff’s Office tip line at 636-797-5515.