Criminal Minds: Woman Suspects Ex-Boyfriend Destroyed Home Interior

Here's the latest roundup of unusual crimes reported in the St. Louis area.

Shrink-Wrapped Mazda, Left Running, is Stolen
A 2011 Mazda CX-7 was stolen between Dec. 1 from the lot of Bommarito Mazda. Police said keys were left in the running vehicle so that battery work could be performed. When the worker returned to the vehicle, it was gone.

Police said the CX-7, valued by Edmunds.com at nearly $22,000, likely still was covered in the white plastic shrink wrap in which Mazdas are shipped from the assembly line.

Small Burglar Suspected
On Nov. 30, an apparently undersized burglar squeezed into a home through a doggie door on Laurel Court in Florissant. The perpetrator stole a Playstation game system, a laptop computer and jewelry.

The Things We Steal

• A dryer was reported stolen Nov. 29 from a residence on Lemay Ferry Road in Mehlville.
• Leaf blowers were reported stolen from a residence on the 1000 block of Vuecrest Lane.
• A victim was punched and the attacker stole electronics—and a hat—Nov. 8 at the intersection of Clyde and West Ripa avenues in Mehlville. 
• A brake metal bending tool was reported stolen Nov. 20 from a residence on Horn Avenue in Mehville.
• Jewelry and bowling balls were reported stolen Nov. 25 from a home on Loretta Avenue in Mehlville.
• A yellow 1998 Bluebird school bus was reported stolen Nov. 21 from First Student, 10400 Tesshire Dr. in Affton.
• A DeClue and Sons Tree Care employee reported a 20-ton Briggs and Stratton log splitter, valued at $1,500, missing from the Arnold business’ 3500 Telegraph location. The employee said the equipment was taken during the Thanksgiving holiday weekend.

From the Back Seat to the Toilet Seat
A man ran from a cab driver after he found himself unable to pay a $60 cab fare. Fenton police found the man hiding on top of a toilet in the women's restroom of the nearby St. Louis Bread Company. He was arrested on suspicion of stealing.

Residential Oil Spill and Property Damage in High Ridge
A woman reported Dec. 5 that her home on Freckles Drive in High Ridge was vandalized when someone entered it after breaking out a rear bathroom with a rock.

Once inside, the perpetrator covered carpets, walls, furniture and clothing with used motor oil. All picture frames, mirrors, dishes, appliances, sinks and toilets in the home were broken, apparently with a hammer. The damaged items included:

• All interior walls and carpet of the residence
• Two standard toilets
• Three sinks
• A glass-top stove, oven and microwave
• Two tube televisions
• One flat-panel television
• Numerous pictures, mirrors, mirrored doors, windows and window dressing
• All of the victim's clothing, shoes and coats
• Two standard couches
• An area rug
• A coffee table
• A china cabinet
• All of the victim's dishes
• A kitchen table
• Two dressers
• A queen-size bed and mattress
• Two bookshelves
• Numerous knick-knacks and collectibles
• A rear glass door.

No items were taken from the home or the adjoining garage. The woman told sheriff's deputies she suspected her longtime boyfriend of the vandalism. She said that she broke up with him and kicked him out of the house Dec. 5 and that he had become increasingly agitated when she quit answering his phone calls and text messages.

For questions about this report, contact Dan Barger at Dan.Barger@patch.com.