Arnold Police arrested a 15-year-old and two 16-year-old St. Louis boys for allegedly stealing from vehicles in the Swan Circle South area. The alleged thefts happened during the morning hours of Aug. 28, Capt. Rich Shular said.
At about 3:30 a.m., officers were called to the 3500 block of Swan Circle South after receiving reports of people tampering with vehicles. When officers arrived, the three teenagers allegedly got into a 2011 Cadillac CTS and drove away, the report said.
Police placed a spike strip on Linderhof Drive, which the Cadillac drove over and continued onto Jeffco Boulevard, before the driver lost control and ran into a fence at St. John’s Lutheran Church, 3517 Jeffco Blvd. The accident caused minimal damage to the fence and car, according to the report.
The three teens reportedly ran from the car, but officers apprehended the 15-year-old and one of the 16-year-olds near the crash scene. At about 6:15 a.m., an off-duty officer who had heard about the incident arrested the other 16-year-old after spotting him walking along Jeffco Boulevard near Linderhof Drive, Shular said.
During the investigation, police discovered the Cadillac had been stolen out of Creve Coeur, and that a Ruger handgun was in the car when it was stolen. Officers also learned that the 16-year-old who was arrested at the crash site was wanted in Maryland Heights and St. Louis on warrants, and the 16-year-old arrested later was wanted in St. Louis on warrants, according to the report.
Police found surveillance footage that allegedly showed the teens in the 2100 block of Santiago Drive going through 64-year-old Arnold man’s 2010 Toyota Camry, which was unlocked. They allegedly took a wallet that had several credit cards in it from the car, but they ditched the wallet on the street and it was returned to its owner, the report said.
The three also reportedly were seen at about 2:30 a.m. in the 2100 block of Doe Run Drive going through a 34-year-old Arnold woman’s 2020 Chevrolet Suburban. They allegedly took a Ruger LCP .380 gun from the SUV, but that gun was found by a resident in the 3500 block of St. Stephen Court, according to the report.
The three teenagers were taken to the Police Station and turned over to the Jefferson County Juvenile Office, Shular said.