Christopher J. Jennings, 25, of the Hillsboro area has been accused of burglarizing a home in the 1700 block of Herky Horine Road west of Pevely. A woman allegedly found Jennings rummaging through dresser drawers in the home’s bathroom, court records said.
The Jefferson County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office on March 13 charged Jennings with first-degree burglary, a class B felony punishable by five to 15 years in prison. As of Wednesday, March 19, he was being held on a $50,000 surety-bond at the Jefferson County Jail in Hillsboro, according to court documents.
Jefferson County assistant prosecuting attorney Steven Jerrell is prosecuting the case.
According to the case’s probable-cause statement, Jennings allegedly entered the home on March 13 through an unlocked back door. He did not have permission to enter the home.
A woman told investigators she found Jennings that morning in the bathroom. Jennings allegedly removed jewelry and a rifle from their normal locations in the home and placed them at different locations in the house, the report said.
Jennings also used one of the home’s bathrooms before being found in the house, according to the report.
After he was arrested, he allegedly admitted during a recorded interview that he entered the home without permission and that “he was wrong for doing so,” the report said.