Juvenile arrested for three Sikeston burglaries

SIKESTON, Mo. - A 15-year-old male connected with three recent burglaries has been arrested and placed in Juvenile Detention in Charleston, Mo.

According to a news release from Sgt. Jim McMillen of the Sikeston Department of Public Safety the juvenile was arrested after he was interviewed on April 3 by Detective Jon Broom.

The first burglary occurred at Helping Hands Daycare at 117 N. West St. on March 19 around 8 p.m., McMillen said. Officers discovered food dumped on the floor from the refrigerator and cabinets. The suspect also overturned baby beds and chairs and left two burners on the stove burning.

The second and third burglaries occurred on March 31 and April 2 at St. Francis Xavier School at 106 N. Stoddard St. The juvenile allegedly broke into the school and urinated on a basement desk. School employees reported that 40 dollars in cash was missing and that profanity was written on a classroom chalkboard. Officers also reported that the suspect had allegedly accessed pornographic websites on a computer inside the school.

McMillen said the same juvenile was arrested for similar acts in February, when burglaries occurred at Murray Lane Baptist Church, SEMO Food Bank, Sikeston Food Pantry and Sikeston Alternative School. A similar method of burglaries is what led detectives to suspect the juvenile for the recent crimes last week. McMillen said that while the exact motive is unknown, it appears vandalism was the suspect's primary goal.