Burglary of trailer leaves its residents homeless

During the burglary of a trailer, its wiring was pulled out, the furnace was torn apart and paneling was pulled off the walls, rendering the home unlivable, said one of its residents.

“It was in complete disarray,” Heather Dieffenbach of Cape Girardeau said. “It was indescribable. I had to sit down and cry.”

Dieffenbach and her husband, Brett, were in Anna, Illinois, when their trailer at Starview Trailer Court was broken into about 5 a.m. from the rear door, according to a probable-cause statement filed by Cape Girardeau police officer Brendon Whitlock.

Several items were stolen, including a puppy, a vehicle title, children’s clothing and dog food, Dieffenbach said. Whitlock began the investigation about 9 a.m., according to the statement.

About noon, the Dieffenbachs informed Whitlock they had a possible suspect detained at their trailer, and he admitted stealing the items, Whitlock wrote.

Whitlock arrested Quentin Hopper, 18, of Jackson at the scene. After being read his Miranda rights, Hopper admitted he broke into the trailer about 5 a.m. to steal property, according to the statement.

The Cape Girardeau County Prosecuting Attorney’s office charged Hopper with second-degree burglary, theft and first-degree property damage.

Heather Dieffenbach had complaints about the way Whitlock handled the investigation. She said Whitlock was rude and conveyed a desire to leave the scene as quickly as possible.

“I feel like they’re classifying me,” she said, “because we live in a trailer, we’re trash.”

Sgt. Adam Glueck did not speak about the allegations against Whitlock, but said the Dieffenbachs should file a complaint to the appropriate police supervisor.

Glueck said Dieffenbach did not follow Whitlock’s instruction of calling the police with suspect information, choosing instead to confront Hopper.

Heather Dieffenbach admitted to hitting Hopper before Whitlock arrived at the scene at noon.

“It’s not an ideal set of circumstances,” Glueck said. “We’re fortunate nobody got hurt any more than they did.”

Before Whitlock arrived, Dieffenbach found much of the stolen property at a neighboring trailer, some of it on the porch, when they were looking for the puppy, she said.

The Dieffenbachs and their three children have been living with her father since the burglary.

“We don’t have money to restart our life,” Dieffenbach said. “We don’t have money to move.”

Glueck said officers can provide a list of available resources to newly homeless people upon request, although they do not have a card or pamphlet in patrol cars. Several organizations provide housing services, including Catholic Charities of Southern Missouri, Community Caring Counsel and East Missouri Action Agency.

Cape Girardeau County Prosecuting Attorney Chris Limbaugh said his office seeks restitution in most property-crimes cases, but Hopper’s may take months to adjudicate. Whitlock wrote there was about $2,000 worth of damage in the trailer, according to the statement.

If Hopper is placed on probation, a condition of that probation might be paying restitution, Limbaugh said. If Hopper goes to prison, it’s difficult to collect, Limbaugh said.

bkleine@semissourian.com

(573) 388-3644

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1927 N. Kingshighway, Cape Girardeau, Mo.