Cape man charged in burglary, assault

A man accused of burglarizing a Cape Girardeau apartment building on his birthday and assaulting a police officer while trying to flee was charged for the crimes Wednesday.

Stephan D. Anderson, of 909 Hackberry St., was charged with felony burglary, felony resisting arrest, misdemeanor stealing, misdemeanor assault and misdemeanor assault of a law enforcement officer.

Bond was set at $15,000.

The defendant is accused of breaking into one apartment and suspected of stealing $80 from another in a complex at 10 N. Middle St. on Tuesday, his 24th birthday, police Sgt. Barry Hovis said.

Shortly after the burglaries were reported, police found Anderson hiding in a bush at 13 N. Fountain St. When an officer attempted to arrest him, the defendant shoved the officer and ran away.

Anderson was found about 10 minutes later hiding behind a washing machine in the laundry room of an apartment building at 411 Themis St., a probable-cause statement filed in the case read.

Police again attempted to arrest Anderson, using a Taser to subdue and arrest the defendant when he continued to struggle, Hovis said.

The break-ins in the Middle Street apartment building occurred around 6:15 p.m. Tuesday.

A woman in one of the apartments told officers a man had forced his way in, pushing her down in the process, Hovis said. The man claimed someone who lived in the apartment owned him money, and he began searching the residence.

The woman repeatedly told the man to leave and not steal anything, Hovis said. As he left the apartment, the man pushed the woman against a wall.

The burglar was described as wearing brown shoes, pants and sweatshirt, and his hair was braided on the right side of his head with an afro on the left side, all of which matched Anderson's hairstyle and clothing, according to Hovis.

Another woman in the apartment building told officers that a man with the same description had knocked on her door asking for someone who did not live there. A third woman in the building reported someone entered her home and stole $80 from her purse, Hovis said.

The defendant was also suspected in a scam at 1201 N. Sprigg St. that occurred about an hour before the Tuesday burglaries.

A man matching Anderson's description told a woman who lived at the Sprigg Street address he owed her fiancŽ $50, and offered to give the woman a $100 bill if she had change, Hovis said.

The woman only had $40, but the man said that was fine and would get the $10 another time. When the man took the money, he said he would get the $100 bill from his mother's house up the street, but never returned, Hovis said.

Police were investigating Anderson's possible role in the scam as of Wednesday night, but no charges against him related to that theft had been filed.

kmorrison@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 127