Crime & Safety

ARRESTED: Man Wanted For Town and Country, St. Louis County Thefts

After being chased by police in Town and Country, the man wanted in connection to dozens of thefts across St. Louis County was arrested Thursday. Police say heroin was behind the alleged crime spree.

The following information was supplied by the and police departments. It does not indicate a conviction.

UPDATED: 5:00 p.m.

Jeremy Burkhalter, wanted in connection to numerous thefts in Town and Country and a felony for stealing in St. Louis County, was arrested around 5:30 a.m. Thursday. Burkhalter was previously arrested in Manchester this year.

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Town and Country police said officers took Burkhalter, suspected of more than 50 crimes across the St. Louis area, including car thefts, into custody after a foot pursuit on Turnberry Park Lane near Clayton and Ballas roads in Town and Country. Investigators said it was a heroin addiction that fed Burkhalter's alleged crime spree.

Police said Burkhalter, 27, of St. Louis, was caught after being seen in Town and Country this morning driving a car stolen from Kirkwood earlier this week.

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Town and Country Police Cpt. Gary Hoelzer told Patch that Burkhalter had already been spotted in other jurisdictions early Thursday morning before he made it to Town and Country. 

"So we knew he as out there, and we were looking for him," Hoelzer said.

Town and Country Police Sergeant John Flanagan spotted and followed Burkhalter onto Turnberry Park Lane, where, unknown to Burkhalter, another Town and Country police officer was patrolling. Investigators said Burkhalter soon realized he was caught between the two officers, so he turned into a residential driveway and then fled on foot.

"Our detectives were at the station meeting up with detectives from other police departments along with U.S. Marshals to track down Burkhalter when he came right into the lair," said Town and Country Police Cpt. Gary Hoelzer.

Hoelzer said in a news release that officers and detectives from Des Peres, Kirkwood, Maryland Heights and Ladue converged on the area, and Burkhalter was taken into custody without incident.

"Great work by Sergeant Flanagan, Officer Ronnie Nicoletti, Corporal Chris Moore and all three of our detectives: Sergeant Rick Kranz, Joe Giacopelli and Jim Gorman," Hoelzer said. "It's one of those where it takes a lot of people to get involved, including the community."

Hoelzer said the reason Burkhalter kept returning to cities where police were actively searching for him was due to a heroin addiction.

"This is an anecdotal experience with heroin," Hoelzer said. "He was going to commit crimes until he was caught to feed his habit."

Burkhalter is currently being held in Town and Country and will be transferred to the St. Louis County Jail on St. Louis County warrants. Warrants for Town and Country are pending.

Manchester police told Town and Country-Manchester Patch that Burkhalter was also arrested for thefts committed in Manchester in February and March of this year.

"I actually arrested him," said Detective Craig Smith with the Manchester Police Department. "We had a bunch of what we call 'car cloutings,' or car break-ins, around 35 of them. At that time, we didn't have any suspects."

But then Jeremy Burkhalter got arrested in Ladue for allegedly breaking into cars, Smith said.

"He had a lot of stolen property inside his vehicle, including some that belonged to the Manchester residents," Smith said. "I interviewed him. He admitted to doing it on some of our vehicles, but not all of the vehicles. Right after we arrested him, it stopped on a regular basis."

Smith said at the time of Burkhalter's arrest in March, it was evident to police that a heroin addiction may be fueling the alleged criminal behavior.

"Oh yeah, this guy, he's into it pretty heavy," Smith told Patch. "Drugs make you do all kinds of stuff." 

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Jeremy Burkhalter is wanted for felony stealing in St. Louis County. That information was released by St. Louis Regional Crimestoppers Tuesday.

Anyone with information on Burkhalter is asked to contact Crimestoppers on the anonymous tip hotline: 314-725-8477 or 866-371-8477.

Meanwhile, Town and Country Police are now naming Burkhalter as a suspect wanted for recent thefts in local neighborhoods, specifically crimes in the area of Clayton and Weidman roads, in the Strathmore subdivision.

"He is a suspect," Cpt. Gary Hoelzer told Town and Country-Manchester Patch. "We have an active 'wanted' out for his arrest. We have probable cause linking him to the thefts in vehicles in Town and Country." 

The  is urging residents to be on the look out for Burkhalter, pictured in this article. He is suspected of stealing multiple cars and also wanted in connection to a rash of thefts throughout West County.

(Read Previous Story: )

Police believe Burkhalter is the man caught on the surveillance video photo included in this article.

Although Burkhalter is named as a suspect in connection to the Town and Country and St. Louis County thefts, he has not been named as a suspect in the . Crimestoppers said he is still only considered a person of interested that investigators want to talk to regarding recent Ballwin thefts.

Police said Burkhalter may also be connected to the latest incident in Town and Country where a car was stolen from Springdale Lane off of Ballas Road sometime Saturday night or early Sunday morning. The vehicle was later recovered in Kirkwood. However, investigators believe the suspect then stole another car from that area.

Investigators said Burkhalter was last seen Tuesday in a stolen brown 2008 Buick Enclave.

Town and Country police are also investigating whether he was spotted in the 900 block of Delvin Drive in the Essex Point subdivision just before 5 a.m. Monday.

Police warn residents that he is "highly active" and said he has been seen on several occasions committing crimes between 3 and 6 a.m.

Anyone who observes suspicious activity is urged to call 911.

Information can also be reported to St. Louis Regional Crimestoppers on their anonymous tip hotline: 314-725-8477 or 866-371-8477.

Hoelzer said Burkhalter is not wanted in connection to recent burglaries on Ballas Road that have taken place over the last four to eight weeks.

Please contact Local Editor Gabrielle Biondo with any questions regarding the above reports.


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