John Schnurr, who owns Exterior Creations, 2858 Hwy. 67, south of Festus is offering a $500 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for breaking into his business and stealing thousands of dollars worth of property.
The burglary at the business, which specializes in excavation, demolition, retaining wall construction and snow removal, occurred between 4 p.m. Feb. 22 and 11:30 a.m. Tuesday, according to Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Grant Bissell.
Schnurr said he is taking the burglary personally and wants to do all he can to help authorities find the culprits.
“I want to set an example,” he said. “It’s worth it to spend $500.”
Schnurr said it looked like the burglar cut a lock to gain access to his lot, which he leases from Wilson Homes, a business that operates on the same property.
“The property is divided into two lots,” he said. “In between (the two businesses) there is a cell tower easement. The cell tower lock was cut and they came in there. They broke into my shop through a side door. They busted the whole door jamb.”
He said the suspects used some kind of tool, possibly a screwdriver, to start a 1994 Ford F-450 truck parked on the property and backed it up to a “roll-up door” at his shop. Then, they presumably loaded the truck with items from Schnurr’s business, including two dirt bikes, a Polaris ATV and numerous tools and drove away. A business associate owns the truck that was stolen, Schnurr said.
He estimated the value of the stolen items and damage to the business at $15,000 to $18,000, excluding the pickup, which was late recovered in St. Francois County.
“They found it yesterday (Feb. 27) in Bonne Terre,” Schnurr said. “(Insurance) will probably total it.”
He estimated the truck’s worth at $7,000 to $10,000.
The pickup was severely damaged, and none of Schnurr’s stolen items were found with it, he said.
Bissell said Wednesday that the Sheriff’s Office was investigating the incident but had not identified any suspects or made any arrests. Anyone with information about the burglary is urged to call the Sheriff’s Office at 636-797-5515. For information about the reward, call the business at 314-226-4118.