Cape man charged in jewelry theft

An eyewitness account, a surveillance video, and a tip led to burglary charges filed Tuesday against a man accused of stealing more than $20,000 worth of jewelry from CP McGinty Jewelers, 117 N. Main St., last week.

Michael H. Taylor, 56, who listed 545 S. Frederick St. as his last known address, faces charges of second-degree burglary and felony theft in connection with the Aug. 10 break-in.

As of Tuesday night, Taylor was in the custody of police in Lincoln, Neb., in connection with a burglary there, said Sgt. Jason Selzer, spokesman for the Cape Girardeau Police Department.

Police responded to an alarm going off at McGinty's about 11:30 p.m. Aug. 10, and a surveillance camera captured a suspect throwing a large rock through the back door of the jewelry store, taking it with him as he prowled toward the showroom of the business, and used it to smash the glass of a display cabinet.

According to a probable-cause statement by Cape Girardeau officer Jeffrey R. Bonham, the suspect was caught on tape stuffing an assortment of jewelry into his pants pockets, and headed into the alley behind the store, leaivng a trail of blood in the showroom.

When police checked some of the downtown Cape Girardeau bars, they found that a man had been attempting to sell oxycotin to people at Breakaway's and the Billiard Center.

He said he had been robbed of his money and jewelry, witnesses told police.

Surveillance images of the man taken at the bars matched the suspect in the jewelry heist, the sworn statement said.

An informant later told police that she had seen the individual with someone who lived in the neighborhood, a tip that led to someone who identified Taylor.

Through witness interviews police were able to trace Taylor's whereabouts to Nebraska, where the Nebraska State Patrol was alerted and a request for any DNA of Taylor's on file was made, for the purpose of comparing it with the blood found inside of CP McGinty's.

A witness who spoke with the burlgary suspect at the Billiard Center on the night of break-in also picked Taylor's photo out of a lineup.

Bond was set at $100,000 cash only.

bdicosmo@semissourian.com

388-3635

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pertinent addresses

117 N. Main St.