BELLEFONTAINE, Mo. (First Alert 4) – A bizarre break-in at a Bellefontaine Neighbors market is drawing attention to a string of recent property crimes across the St. Louis area.
That’s because what do a “bear crawling bandit,” a serial in-home burglar and numerous copper wire and metal thefts have in common? They have all happened here in the St. Louis area in recent weeks – and that’s raised some questions about whether there is a bigger risk at hand.
“Historically, property crimes are among the most common anywhere in society,” Joe Zlatic, an associate professor of criminology and criminal justice at St. Louis University, stated. “And so I think it’s not abnormal to see at least some level of those on a regular basis.”…