A pickup that belongs to a Public Water Supply District No. 1 employee was stolen from outside the Arnold water tower, 2124 Michigan Ave., in Arnold. The incident happened early Feb. 6, when a gate was rammed open from the inside, Arnold Police reported.
The 2012 Ford F-250 King Ranch was recovered about 8 p.m. that day at Hillsboro Hematite Road and Stroup Road near Festus. The pickup, which is valued at $40,000, was returned to its owner. However, the pickup had a Smith and Wesson Airlite 340 .357 revolver in it, and the gun, which was valued at $900, was missing, the report said.
Water district employees were called to work at about 12:30 a.m. that day because of a water main break in the Bayshore subdivision off Telegraph Road in Arnold. When the crew returned to the water tower at about 4 a.m., the worker discovered his pickup was gone and the electric gate of the fence surrounding the water tower had been driven through, according to the report.
Video surveillance reportedly showed a white man and white woman scale the fence around the water tower. They allegedly broke into an office and took the keys to the pickup, and then the male suspect drove through the gate to escape, the report said.
The two also broke a window on a shed on the property, but they were unable to enter the shed, according to the report.
The woman also allegedly got keys to a 2008 Ford F-250, which belongs to the water district, and attempted to leave in it, but when she drove into grass, the pickup got stuck in the mud, the report said.
The man and woman allegedly caused $1,500 worth of damage to the electronic gate and $400 worth of damage to the office door, and the broken window was valued at $150, according to the report.
As of Feb. 11, the man and woman had not been identified, Lt. Clinton Wooldridge said. Anyone with information about the incident should contact Arnold Police at 636-296-3204.