Three Dexter men arrested in rash of business burglaries

DEXTER, Mo. — Three men, all from Dexter, have been arrested following a rash of break-ins over the past year at local businesses.

According to Det. Cory Mills, ongoing investigations within the Dexter Police Department have led to the arrests of 39-year-old James Donald Hopkins, 20-year-old Daniel Ryan Greer and 20-year-old Jeffery Keith Barker, all showing Dexter residences. The three face burglary and stealing charges for break-ins that occurred between December 2007 and December 2008 at Busy B Lumber, The Bunny Patch, the downtown Family Dollar Store and the Farmers Insurance office on the North Outer Road.

On Dec. 21, 2007, police responded to a call at the Family Dollar Store at 312 W. Stoddard St. in reference to a break-in. Evidence of tampering with the business safe was discovered, Mills said, and an undetermined amount of money had been taken.

On Jan. 11, 2008, officers again responded to a call from the Family Dollar, where a second break-in had occurred.

"This time," reports Mills, "the safe was taken but it was later recovered at an undisclosed location in Dexter."

On Oct. 22, 2008, a break-in was reported at Busy B Lumber Company on One Mile Road.

"The business safe at Busy B had also been tampered with and an undetermined amount of cash was taken from the business," Mills said.

This break-in, said Mills, was apparently a joint effort of Greer and Hopkins.

Barker, according to Mills, admitted during his interview with police that he broke into The Bunny Patch on Walnut Street in downtown Dexter in mid-November of 2008, as well as the Farmers Insurance office in early December of 2008, where an undisclosed amount of cash was stolen. He is charged with the Class C felony of burglary in the second degree with a bond of $7,500.

Through subsequent investigations by Mills and Det. Lt. Trevor Pulley, Hopkins and Daniel Ryan Greer were arrested and both were charged with the Busy B break-ins. Hopkins alone was charged with the Family Dollar burglary.

Barker is said to have acted alone in the burglaries at The Bunny Patch and Farmers Insurance.

Greer is charged with the Class C felony of Burglary in the second degree and one count of the Class C felony of stealing. Hopkins is charged with one count of the Class C felony of burglary in the second degree and one count of the Class C felony of stealing. His bond is set at $20,000 cash only and he remains in custody.

None of the cash reported taken in the burglaries has been recovered, according to Mills. He added that the department has no reason to believe that the three individuals are connected with recent home break-ins in the area.