Two men and two women of are accused of planning and carrying out numerous car break-ins, and all four were additionally charged in federal court with identity theft on Wednesday.
According to local news blog The Riverfront Times, the group was eventually caught by police who staked out Queeny Park, where the two male suspects, Keith Lee and Melvin Brooks, were observed peeking into parked cars, presumably to look for valuables. One of the two was stopped leaving the park, and police say they discovered a GPS device in his car programmed with the locations of several other nearby parks and local businesses.
The St. Louis County officers who discovered the GPS then shared their discovery with other local law enforcement, who confirmed that many of the locations programmed into the device had also seen a recent rash of vehicle break-ins. In addition, officers told the Riverfront Times that a key found on that suspect led to a local hotel and the other three alleged criminals, who are said to have been found with a considerable quantity of stolen property in the room.
The group is suspected of committing roughly 30 break-ins over the course of the past several days in St. Louis, and faces charges of identity theft relating to personal information stolen from the vehicles.
A high rate of vehicle break-ins in a given area can cause car insurance rates to rise if insurers perceive that there is a greater risk of consumers filing a claim. Motorists should be sure to take common-sense precautions to help keep their chances of becoming a victim of this crime as low as possible.