Four arrested after early-morning burglaries

Posted: August 14, 2014 - 1:05am
Updated: August 14, 2014 - 8:12pm

Lawrence police arrested four people following several burglaries early Thursday.

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Reported burglaries marked in red
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Police were called to an address in the 3700 block of Stetson Drive shortly before 12:30 Thursday morning for a residential burglary in progress. The residents of the address was asleep inside the home when the suspects attempted to get in. One of the residents went downstairs to investigate the sounds and saw the silhouette of someone standing outside the kitchen window and called police, Lawrence Police Sgt. Trent McKinley tells my reporting partners at the Lawrence Journal-World.

An arriving officer was involved in a brief foot chase with one of the suspects, who was found trying to hide in a vehicle. A second person was arrested just minutes later near the same vehicle.

While investigating officers found evidence suggesting that the suspects had damaged window screens and broken a basement window, all in attempt to get inside the home.

During a search of the vehicle, officers found items that belonged to the home next door. Police say the resident of that home awoke to her dog barking, when she went to investigate she saw a man standing in her living room. She screamed and the man ran off.

Officers searching the suspect vehicle also located a laptop that belonged to an address in the 300 block of Sharon Drive. Officers responded to that address and found obvious signs that the home had been broken into.

A garage door opener, belonging to a home in the 300 block of Stockade was also found in the suspect's vehicle. Officers say that opener was taken from a vehicle that was burglarized in front of the address. Police are still investigating whether or not that opener was used to enter the home.

At 3:45 a.m., police received a report of someone attempting to enter a home through a side door in the 3800 block of Sierra Court. The resident of that address armed himself with a handgun, called police and the suspect fled according to Sgt. McKinley.

A short time after, officers spotted a man attempting to break into a vehicle in the 3800 block of Overland Drive. The man was quickly arrested.

The Journal-World reports that the fourth suspect was located just before 7 a.m. near the Hy-Vee in the 4000 block of West Sixth Street. He attempted to flee, McKinley said, and was arrested after a lengthy foot chase.

The suspects have been identified as Tyler Snipes, 18, of Lawrence, Michael Dale Eller, 20, of LaCynge, and Stephan Thompson, 21, and Stafan Davis, 21, both of Parker.

Police continue to investigate. Anyone with information is asked to call Douglas County CrimeStoppers at 785-843-8477 or Lawrence Police Department at 785-832-7509.

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