Homeowners worry about increase in crime on North Lorimier

Michael McGinnis has poured about $40,000 into the renovation of his house at 224 N. Lorimier St., but he and his wife recently discussed whether they want to live in Cape Girardeau.

She is afraid, and he is angry after a homicide and a confirmed shots-fired call on their block in a little more than a month. The second was in their driveway.

On June 25, McGinnis said he heard six shots fired in quick succession from his driveway at 5:45 a.m..

“I’m ducking dude,” he said. “I’m not peeking off the floor, not until I had some degree of confidence there was nobody there.”

McGinnis and his neighbor Roger Mocherman, 220 N. Lorimier St., said crime has increased in the 200 block of Lorimier Street over the past two years. McGinnis said his car was broken into this past winter, and police did not obtain any subsequent information in that case. He said there were two overdose deaths on the block in the past two years.

Michael McGinnis, left, speaks to Cape Girardeau Mayor Harry Rediger about recent shootings on North Lorimier Street after Rediger dropped in to speak with McGinnis on Friday afternoon.Laura Simon

Cape Girardeau police provided a list of all the calls in the 200 block of Lorimier Street from June 27, 2014, through Monday. There were 174 total calls and 52 reports taken. A report is taken any time police find evidence a law was broken. Some of those calls do not involve criminal matters — 911 hang-ups, welfare checks, information for officers and fire calls. The 200 block of Lorimier Street had 13 fire calls in that time period, all of which elicited a report.

The block produced 32 domestic-disturbance calls, creating 11 reports. There were four burglary calls with three reports, four vehicle thefts with three reports, two assaults in progress with one report and two shots-fired calls, with one confirmed with a report.

“I’m sure there are streets in town that have had a lot more calls and streets in town that have had a lot less,” public information officer Richard McCall said.

Police staff in charge of call information could not be reached Friday to provide call information about other blocks to serve as a comparison.

The one confirmed shooting was Andrel Dolpin Jr., 17, who was shot in the chest about 9:30 p.m. May 19 near the breezeway of Lorimont House apartments at 235 Lorimier St. Dolpin later died of his wounds at Saint Francis Medical Center.

McGinnis and Mocherman brought up Dolpin’s death as an example of how criminal activity on Lorimier Street has gotten out of hand. A different neighbor who did not wish to be named said as many as 10 shots might have been fired that night.

Jonas Phillips, 27, of Charleston, Missouri, was charged with second-degree murder and two counts each of armed criminal action and first-degree assault in the shooting. His alleged accomplices that night, Daniel Venable and Lizzy Culbertson, both of Sikeston, Missouri, said they went to one of the apartments at 235 N. Lorimier St. to buy marijuana and sell pills, according to a probable-cause statement from Cape Girardeau police. Venable and Dolpin wrestled inside the apartment, according to the statement. Dolpin followed Venable outside, and that is when Phillips fired several shots, according to the statement.

Mocherman said the apartments at 234 and 235 Lorimier St. are sites of drug activity.

Police did not comment on a potential motive behind the shots fired June 25. Cape Girardeau Police Department public information officer Adam Glueck said a shots-fired call was confirmed by evidence that morning at 224 N. Lorimier, although he would not specify the nature of the evidence. He said there were no reports of property damage or people being struck by bullets.

McGinnis said officers pulled six spent shell casings from his driveway June 25, and he has spoken to officers. He is not sure whether the information he has provided is being taken seriously. He told police about a white 2010 Chevrolet Malibu that raced down Lorimier, pulling in a neighboring driveway just south of his minutes before the shots were fired. He said an officer hung up on him when he brought up the white Malibu on Monday.

“They’re ducking me,” McGinnis said. “I want some kind of resolution on this.”

McCall said McGinnis talked to the same officer Thursday and described the conversation as cordial.

“What are we going to do three weeks from now when there is another shooting on my block?” McGinnis asked.

McGinnis has made suggestions to police and city officials on ways to combat crime on Lorimier.

“My one suggestion is to be a horrible nuisance,” McGinnis said of a police response. “They patrol; they drive around the block. Driving around in circles doesn’t help anybody. They’ve got to get out of their cars.”

McCall said there are “a million” ways to patrol, and maybe foot patrols would work to deter crime on Lorimier Street.

Brian Langlois owns the Bellevue Bed and Breakfast at 312 Bellevue St., a house west of the intersection with Lorimier Street. He was part of a neighborhood meeting about three weeks ago to address the violence.

He said he would like to have more police patrols on Lorimier and Bellevue streets, but he understands police have responsibilities throughout the city. He said the landlords of 234 and 235 Lorimier St. need to be held responsible for the condition of their properties and the tenants of those apartments.

“If they can’t take care of their properties, they should sell to somebody who can,” Langlois said. “This is a historic neighborhood in what is considered Old Town Cape. This should be a showcase neighborhood. ... The city cannot afford to let this neighborhood go down.”

bkleine@semissourian.com

(573) 388-3644

Pertinent address:

224 N. Lorimier St., Cape Girardeau, Mo.