Maryland Heights Burglar Smashed Car Through Closed Garage Door, Police Say
The homeowner came into the garage as the man stole items from the vehicle, the Clayton Police Department reported.
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A man, who had previously admitted to burglary in Maryland Heights, smashed a car through a closed garage door in Clayton after the homeowner confronted him Sept. 29 during a separate burglary, police said.
Charles M. Finley, 20, of University City is suspected of entering an attached garage at about 12:30 a.m. Sept. 29 in the 200 block of Gay Avenue, the Clayton Police Department stated. He began going through a car and stole a cellphone and Cardinals baseball tickets, according to the police report.
When the homeowner entered the garage and confronted him, Finley started the 2012 GMC Arcadia and backed through the garage door, causing $2,200 in damage, the report states.
The cellphone and Cardinals tickets were recovered from Finley when he was arrested, police said.
Finley, of the 1200 block of North and South Road, is charged with first-degree burglary, stealing a car, first-degree property damage and stealing.
He was being held in the St. Louis County jail in lieu of a $66,000 bond.
Finley also was charged Sept. 25 with second-degree burglary in University City.
Before that, he was on five years probation and had a suspended execution of sentence after pleading guilty to eight burglary charges in Clayton, University City, Maryland Heights, Creve Coeur, Chesterfield and St. Louis County. He received 120 days of shock incarceration.
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