Crime News

A juvenile was taken into custody by the Cape Girardeau Police Department on Thursday night for allegedly starting two grass fires in the city. According to Sgt. Joey Hann, Cape PD and the Cape Girardeau Fire Department responded to a report of a grass fire in the 1600 block of Kingsway Drive. Shortly after, another grass fire was reported in the 900 block of Kingshighway outside of Dunkin' Donuts...

A suspect who fled from Cape Girardeau police on foot following a car chase Tuesday afternoon was taken into custody Wednesday afternoon. Deundra Laray Moore, 21, of Charleston, Missouri, was arrested on felony charges of resisting arrest, and misdemeanor charges of careless and imprudent driving and driving while suspended. ...

Cape Girardeau police don't anticipate an increase in intoxicated driving despite locally-developed ride-hailing service carGO ceasing operations. "I would hope that the absence in this single service wouldn't create an increase in driving while intoxicated incidents within our city," Sgt. Joey Hann said. "We always stress that patrons should have a safe return plan in place before they drink outside of their homes."...

A Benton, Missouri, man is in custody on child molestation charges. Dustin M. Carter, 36, was booked into the Cape Girardeau County Jail on charges of first-degree child molestation, a Class B felony. According to a probable-cause statement, Carter allegedly touched an underage victim inappropriately on numerous occasions...

KENNETT, Mo. — One person died and four others were wounded in an overnight shooting at an American Legion club in Kennett, police said Sunday. KAIT-TV reported officers found the five victims at the American Legion building following the report of the shooting before 12:30 a.m. Sunday. Two people were flown to a hospital in Cape Girardeau in critical condition. Two other victims were being treated at local hospitals. ...

A Ste. Genevieve, Missouri, woman was sentenced to 16 months in prison Thursday on wire fraud charges. Kala M. Childress, 27, was sentenced Thursday by U.S. District Judge Matthew Schelp to 16 months in prison on each of four counts of wire fraud. According to a news release from the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Missouri, Childress worked for Bloomsdale Excavating Co. as an administrative clerk. She was responsible for overseeing the company's credit card accounts...

A Cape Girardeau man is wanted on two counts of child molestation. The Cape Girardeau County Prosecuter's Office has issued charges for Richard D. Ozment Jr., 32, on two counts of the Class B felony of second-degree molestation of a child under the age of 12...

The Cape Girardeau Police Department will conduct business as usual despite potentially hazardous road conditions and below-freezing temperatures. According to Sgt. Joey Hann, the department remains open and fully operational, even when businesses, state offices and city facilities are closed. ...

Former Marble Hill, Missouri, police chief Marc Tragesser faces a federal indictment for a civil rights violation that occurred during his tenure with the police department. According to court documents filed Wednesday, Tragesser is charged with depravation of rights under the color of law...

The Cape Girardeau County Sheriff's Office is seeking assistance in identifying a woman suspected of counterfeiting. The woman is wanted in reference to questioning for an active counterfeiting investigation. Anyone with any information is encouraged to contact the sheriff's office investigations unit at (573) 204-2932...

A burglary suspect who allegedly fled from police, wrecked a vehicle and evaded arrest last week was apprehended Monday and faces several charges. Tyler J. Pengelley, 37, of Cape Girardeau was arrested Monday afternoon by Cape Girardeau police officers, and is charged with first-degree burglary, two counts of assault on a law enforcement officer, resisting arrest and stealing...

A Cape Girardeau man was booked at the Cape Girardeau County Sheriff's Office on robbery charges stemming from an incident that occurred last summer. Austin D. LaRose, 18, was arrested Friday on charges of robbery and armed criminal action. According to a probable-cause statement written by Sgt. ...

A former Poplar Bluff, Missouri, police officer was sentenced to 25 years in prison Tuesday for the production of child pornography. According to a news release from the United States Attorney's Office Eastern District of Missouri, U.S. District Judge Stephen Limbaugh Jr. sentenced Brandon M. Hopper, 40, of Poplar Bluff to 300 months in prison for one count of sexual exploitation of a minor. Hopper pleaded guilty to this charge in October...

A 22-year-old Sikeston, Missouri, man was arrested early Saturday morning after fleeing the scene of a crash and being chased down by a citizen. Justin C. Moss was arrested by Cape Girardeau police early Saturday and issued summonses for alleged driving while intoxicated and leaving the scene of a motor vehicle accident, according to Sgt. Joey Hann...

A woman was found dead late Monday morning on South West End Boulevard in Cape Girardeau. According to Cape Girardeau police Sgt. Joey Hann, at approximately 11:30 a.m. Monday, officers responded to a report of a deceased person in a wooded area near 1200 South West End Boulevard. Upon arrival, officers discovered a dead woman outdoors in the area...

A burglary suspect remains at large following a police chase Monday evening in Cape Girardeau. According to Sgt. Joey Hann, Cape Girardeau police officers responded to a report of a burglary near Bellevue and Fountain streets Monday evening. Upon the officers’ arrival, the suspect fled the vicinity in a red SUV...

Two women were arrested following a police pursuit where they wrecked their vehicle into a gas main on Thursday just outside of Sikeston. According to a probable-cause statement released by Sikeston DPS, officers responded to the two women, identified as Jesika N. ...

Four Southeast Missouri men facing federal racketeering charges allegedly belonged to one of Chicago’s largest and most-established street gangs. Sean Clemon, Dominique Maxwell and Perry Harris, all of Cape Girardeau, and Barry Boyce of Charleston were all arrested and charged with RICO conspiracy, according to a news release distributed Monday from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Illinois. ...

Seven alleged members of the Gangster Disciples gang, including four from Southeast Missouri, were arrested on federal racketeering charges according to a news release sent out Monday from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Illinois. The alleged members of the gang, which includes top national and state leaders, have been charged in a federal indictment accusing them of a yearslong interstate RICO conspiracy that involved multiple murders and drug trafficking, among other crimes. ...

A Cape Girardeau man was arrested after a witness told police the man was sexually involved with a 12-year-old girl. Ryan Ahrens, 19, was booked at the Cape Girardeau Sheriff’s Office on charges of first-degree sexual abuse of a minor under 14 years old. ...

A Chinese national residing in Cape Girardeau is in custody at the Cape Girardeau County Sheriff’s Office for possession and distribution of child pornography. Haoyu Wang, 27, was booked at the sheriff’s office Thursday by the Missouri State Highway Patrol for first-degree promoting and three counts of possession of child pornography, all of which are class B felonies...

A Sikeston man arrested Thursday evening by Cape Girardeau police in connection with a stabbing on Cape LaCroix Trail. Joshua J. May, 35, was arrested on charges of second-degree assault and armed criminal action for allegedly stabbing a woman on Cape LaCroix Trail near the 1300 block of Mount Auburn Road...

A truck reported stolen overnight from a Cape Girardeau business was found abandoned Wednesday just north of Chaffee, Missouri. According to Sgt. Joey Hann of the Cape Girardeau Police Department, at 8:03 a.m. Thursday, officers responded to Plants Plus, 910 S. Kingshighway, for a report of a stolen vehicle. The victim told officers he had left a black 2006 Chevrolet 2500 pickup truck in the parking lot overnight and it was missing...

A bill gaining traction in the Missouri Legislature that would ban police from using chokeholds would have “little effect” on the Cape Girardeau Police Department, according to Sgt. Joey Hann. House Bill 455, proposed by District 98 Rep. Shamed Dogan (R), would prohibit the use of chokeholds — defined in the bill’s text as “the intentional and prolonged application of force to a person’s throat or windpipe that prevents or hinders breathing or reduces the intake of air” — by peace officers and security guards except in instances where the use of deadly force is acceptable. ...

The Cape Girardeau County Sheriff’s Office is hiring a jail deputy and a civilian corrections officer. Interested applicants for the jail deputy position must be at least 21 years old, and applicants for the corrections officer position must be at least 18 years old and be Peace Officer Basic Training (POST) certified. Both positions require applicants to possess a high school diploma or equivalent, be a United States citizen, be a resident of Missouri and not have a felony record...