Boone County officials believe that a 20-year-old Columbia man can be linked to a string of burglaries after his car was allegedly linked to one burglary last week. Authorities were responding to a report of a burglary in progress on October 23 when they claim to have spotted the young man’s car. Boone County deputies attempted to make a traffic stop of the man’s Charger, but claim he fled the scene.



Law enforcement found the vehicle abandoned in an intersection in the Lake of the Woods area. Apparently deputies looked through the vehicle and claim that items were found to connect the man to the alleged burglary that had been reported earlier. The man was later arrested on suspicion of burglary.

Officials, however, are looking to link the man to many other alleged crimes that were not solved before the man’s arrest. Investigators say that they obtained search warrants for the man’s residence and a storage locker in the Midway area that investigators believe can be linked to the Columbia man.

Officials say that the two raids uncovered items that link the man to a dozen other burglaries. Deputies believe that 10 other unsolved crimes may also be linked to the man—however it does not appear that the 10 additional crimes have been charged.

It is not uncommon for allegations to pile up after an arrest for a single alleged offense. Law enforcement may often seek to expand one investigation to overlap other probes that remain on the books.

The Columbia man taken into custody is facing a long string of charges, including multiple burglary and felony stealing counts, property crimes, weapons offenses and a laundry list of other offenses. While the court of public opinion may jump to conclusions in cases involving multiple counts, courts of law must presume innocence and the accused has the right to a criminal defense.

Source: Columbia Tribune, “Columbia man suspected in more than 20 burglaries,” Alan Burdziak, Oct. 31, 2013; KRCG 13, “Suspect arrested in Boone County burglary,” Oct. 24, 2013