Jackson man gets probation for December burglaries

Jackson man receives probation for burglaries

A 20-year-old man was sentenced to five years' probation for his role in the burglaries of a Jackson church and Cape Girardeau home. Last month, Christopher A. Messmer of Jackson pleaded guilty to one count of stealing and one count of burglary for the Dec. 16 heists. On Monday, Circuit Judge Benjamin Lewis sentenced Messmer to five years probation. Messmer admitted to breaking into a Cape Girardeau home on Dec. 16 and stealing electronics and guitars. Later that day, Messmer stole bankroll checks, a projector and bank notes from First General Baptist Church in Jackson. The stolen property was worth about $5,630. Two co-defendants in the case were sentenced for their role in the burglaries. One man received five years probation and the other man, who pleaded guilty to several other charges for unrelated crimes, was sentenced to seven years in prison.

Woman punches officer, charged with assault

A 28-year-old woman was charged Monday with punching a Cape Girardeau police officer who pulled her over for drunken driving. Mary M. Chalmers of McClure, Ill., was charged with felony assault of a law enforcement officer, felony driving while intoxicated, misdemeanor driving while license was revoked, and was cited for failure to drive on the right half of the roadway. At 11:42 p.m. Sunday, a Cape Girardeau police officer pulled Chalmers over at William Street and Farrar Drive when he noticed her crossing the center line several times, according to the probable cause statement. During the traffic stop, the officer noticed Chalmers smelled like alcohol and had watery and bloodshot eyes. Despite being told several times by the officer, Chalmers continually attempted to reach for something in the passenger seat, which later turned out to be an open bottle of whiskey, police spokesman Jason Selzer said. When the officer asked Chalmers to step out of her car, she punched the officer in the chin, the statement said. The defendant, who had a blood-alcohol content level of 0.115, had bond set at $10,000.

-- From staff reports