Prosecutor: Heist at mall turned into police chase

A St. Louis man and two women stole more than $1,800 in denim and other merchandise from West Park Mall in Cape Girardeau before leading police on a dangerous car chase, police said.

The Cape Girardeau County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office charged Robert E. Baxter, 53, with stealing and resisting arrest, creating a substantial risk of serious injury/death, both of which are felonies.

Alexis L. Key, 20, is charged with two counts of felony stealing.

Letesha B. Williams, 34, faces one count of felony stealing.

According to a probable-cause statement filed in the case by Cape Girardeau patrolman David Weidenbenner, Key distracted employees at Buckle, a store in the mall, while Baxter took a large quantity of jeans and fled the mall Sunday.

Mall staff told police Baxter had driven away in a blue Kia vehicle, which police found on William Street near Edgewood Road, Weidenbenner wrote.

Baxter fled police with Williams in the car, making an illegal U-turn, running traffic lights, nearly striking other vehicles — including a Cape Transit Authority bus — and speeding 80 mph in a 45 mph zone, according to the statement.

The vehicle stopped near the 600 block of South Kingshighway, where officers detained Baxter and Williams and found jeans in the vehicle Buckle staff later identified as being the stolen merchandise, Weidenbenner wrote.

Police also recovered from the vehicle just under $800 in women’s sportswear, which Key and Williams were caught on security footage stealing from Macy’s the same day, according to another probable-cause statement filed in the case.

tgraef@semissourian.com

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