Three teens charged with burglarizing Cape Girardeau parks buildings

Three Cape Girardeau teens have a court date with Associate Circuit Judge Gary A. Kamp at 9 a.m. May 7.

Rayburn Cowan, 17; Michael Rusher, 17; and Justin Fornkohl, 17, have been charged with burglarizing the Arena Building and Shawnee Park Sports Complex. They were arrested April 7 after an alarm sounded at the Shawnee Park Sports Complex.

Police found the teens near Shawnee Park's concession stand, where chips, sports drinks, candy and beer were being stored. Some candy, chips and sports drinks were missing, according to Cape Girardeau Police Department spokesman Cpl. Jason Selzer.

Police also questioned the teens about a break-in at the Arena Building reported at 1:30 p.m. April 6.

Selzer said the intruders broke a small window of an Arena Building office door and a deadbolt on an interior door, and tried to open a wooden door to more offices.

"They definitely went through everything," he said.

On April 8, each was charged with two counts of second-degree burglary, a felony, and one count of misdemeanor stealing.

Selzer said four walkie-talkies taken from the Arena Building were recovered. He said police were investigating whether the teens were linked to similar crimes in Chaffee and Scott City.

On Monday, Scott City police charged Cowan with two burglaries, felony stealing and first- and second-degree property damage stemming from incidents March 25 and 28.

Selzer said Cape Girardeau has "had an uptick in burglaries over the last few weeks."

pmcnichol@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 127