A 49-year-old man was ordered Friday to spend more than 11 years in prison for a string of burglaries at several churches, spas, an animal clinic and other businesses in the Wichita area last year.
Prosecutors say Stephen D. Rowell’s months-long crime spree included 11 burglaries in Wichita, Goddard, Maize and Mulvane between May and August 2025. Among his targets:
- Massage Envy, which lost money and iPads in a May 4 break-in
- Solace Nails and Spa, where a wallet and its contents were stolen on May 9
- New Hope Bible Church, which had peaches stolen and a window damaged on May 20
- Bridgeport Missionary Baptist Church, where money was stolen and a collection box was damaged on June 6
- Mulvane Animal Clinic, which lost money, keys, business account information, a beverage and other miscellaneous property on June 8. The clinic’s ceiling and floor were damaged
- June 20 break-ins at Select Physical Therapy and El Amigo Western Wear, where keys, money, personal items and a cash register and drawer were stolen and some drywall was damaged
- Riverside Christian Church, which lost electronics, money, food and a financial card that Rowell later used to pay for a minibike, cigarettes, groceries and other items. A safe, doors and lights at the church were damaged in the July 9 break-in
- Stella Nails and Spa, where money and a manicure set were stolen on July 18
- Harter Physical Therapy, where electronics, a cash box and personal items including hair products were stolen on July 22. A cabinet was damaged
- The Popcorner, which had its cash drawer stolen and a door damaged on Aug. 12
“The case was solved through a coordinated effort by the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office along with police departments from Wichita, Goddard, and Maize,” the Sedgwick County District Attorney’s Office said in a news release Friday.
“Investigators used security camera footage to identify Rowell as the suspect, and the Sedgwick County Forensic Science Center later matched Rowell’s DNA to evidence recovered from a crime scene.”…