Police seek suspect in school burglary

Cape Girardeau police are looking for whoever broke into Trinity Lutheran School overnight Thursday, stealing electronics and cash and damaging several windows and doors.

Darin Hickey, public information officer for the Cape Girardeau Police Department, said the burglary occurred sometime between 10 p.m. Thursday and 5:30 a.m. Friday.

Employees at the school around 9 or 10 p.m. Thursday found nothing amiss, Hickey said, but a janitor arrived at the school about 5:30 a.m. Friday to find a window broken out.

Officers responding to the scene found no one in the building, but several windows and glass doors were broken, and someone had entered several classrooms and the office, Hickey said.

The burglar or burglars took electronics and an undisclosed amount of cash, he said.

School officials delayed the start of classes Friday while evidence technicians processed the scene and janitors cleaned up the glass, Hickey said.

He did not know how long classes were delayed or whether school resumed later in the day.

A woman answering the phone Friday afternoon at the school said no one was available to answer questions about the burglary.

The burglary is the second at the school in recent months, Hickey said, and one of several at religious institutions.

On Nov. 13, someone broke a window at the school and took cash and "a couple of gift cards," he said.

"We've had a few other church burglaries since then in that same time frame -- November, December, January," Hickey said.

At this time, police do not have evidence that would indicate the break-ins are related, but they are investigating the possibility, he said.

"You have to investigate them all on their own merit. ... We don't want to undercut the investigation or shortchange the investigation by assuming something that we don't have evidence that proves that," Hickey said.

No suspects are in custody at this time, but police are asking anyone with information about the burglary to call the department at 335-6621, Hickey said.

"If anybody saw anybody suspicious around the school or has any information, then obviously, let us know," he said.

epriddy@semissourian.com

388-3642

Pertinent address:

55 N. Pacific St., Cape Girardeau, MO