Men Stole Copper Pipe from Vacant Apartment, Police Say

Two men face criminal charges after police said they stole copper pipes from a University City apartment Dec. 12.

Edward Starr, 17, of the 8600 block of Haltonia Lane in Berkeley, and Dion Thompson, 25, of the 5800 block of Wabada Street in St. Louis, were charged Thursday with second-degree burglary.

University City Police said a neighbor heard noises coming from a vacant apartment in the 6700 block of Vernon Avenue. The neighbor called police and said she heard a noise like a pipe falling.

When police arrived, they saw the door to the apartment had been forced open and the screed door handle was missing. When officers went inside, they saw the stove had been pushed away from the wall and a pipe was cut away from a water heater.

Officers reported they saw Starr get in a car parked nearby at the apartments and found he had a door handle from the screen door. Officers also found a backpack containing copper pipe inside the car.

Starr told police he found the backpack on the street.

Police said Thompson approached the car as it was being towed and said it belonged to his girlfriend. The top handle of the backpack had blood stains on it, and Thompson had fresh cuts to his hand, according to the police report.

Bail was set at $10,000 each for Starr and Thompson.

For more crime information on University City Patch, see the following articles:

• U City Man Charged With Sept. 20 Burglary