A St. Louis man accused of stealing from at least 50 vehicles throughout St. Louis County, including in Eureka, has been charged with 16 felonies connected to thefts in May. Police are still trying to locate at least one other man connected with the thefts, according to court documents.
DJ Lacy, 20, has been charged with nine felony counts of second-degree burglary, three felony counts of stealing a firearm, three felony counts of stealing and one felony count of first-degree burglary, court records show.
As of Monday, July 13, he was being held on a $500,000 bond, court documents said.
According to a probable-cause statement filed by Eurek Police, Lacy and two other people worked together from about 2 a.m. to 2:30 a.m. May 24 to steal from vehicles outside of homes on Hillington Drive, Ashton Way and Sierra Lane in Eureka.
Investigators said Lacy’s cell phone was detected near the vehicles that were burglarized, and they said Lacy and two other people were seen in surveillance video during the times of the thefts. A white Lexus GS350 also was seen in surveillance video at each site, the report said.
Two people were seen walking alongside the Lexus, and those people allegedly were seen pulling on door handles and rummaging through vehicles during the 30-minute time frame on May 24.
Eureka Police said among the items stolen from the three vehicles was a 9mm gun.
Lacy was charged for the alleged burglaries and gun theft in Eureka on July 7.
The day before, he was charged for five burglaries and a gun theft in connection to thefts from vehicles on May 12 outside of homes on Westbrooke Terrace, Westbrooke Meadows Lane and Johanna Drive in west St. Louis County, according to court records.
In a probable-cause statement filed by St. Louis County Police, Lacy and another man allegedly stole items from unlocked vehicles between about 3:30 a.m. and 4 a.m. on May 12. The two are accused of working together to steal items from a 2016 Toyota Tacoma, 2016 Chevrolet Silverado, a Toyota Sienna and 2023 Dodge Ram.
The Sienna was accessed after one of the two men allegedly used a garage door opener in the Silverado to enter a garage in the 1300 block of Westbrooke Lane, and a gun was allegedly stolen from the Ram that was parked in 1000 block of Johanna Drive, the report said.
Investigators determined Lacy and the other man were traveling in stolen vehicles at the time of the thefts, and the stolen vehicles were recovered in the 4100 block of Lexington Ave. in St. Louis. Investigators also allegedly found numerous items stolen from vehicles at an industrial location in St. Louis, according to the report.
Lacy’s phone and the other man’s phone were detected at both locations in St. Louis, the report said.
On June 25, Lacy was charged for thefts from vehicles that happened on May 19 outside of the Xist Fitness center, 151 Concord Plaza Shopping Center, in south St. Louis County, court records show.
In a probable-cause statement filed by St. Louis County Police, Lacy and another man, who allegedly was involved in the thefts in Eureka in west St. Louis County, stole a 2021 Audi in Columbia, Ill, early that morning and drove to the fitness center.
The two then allegedly worked together in the shopping plaza’s parking lot to steal from at least two vehicles. They allegedly broke a window on a man’s pickup and stole a pistol, and they allegedly broke a window on a woman’s car and stole her purse, the report said.
Lacy and the other man then went to a nearby Jack in the Box restaurant, and they allegedly attempted to purchase food with a credit card stolen from one of the victims, according to the report.
Lacy was arrested June 24 in Jennings, the report said.