Crime & Safety
Robbers Pawn Stolen TV in Front of Detective, Police Say
A Maplewood Police detective was in the right place at the right time.
Two Maplewood residents were caught pawning stolen property in front of a Maplewood detective, Maplewood Police Department reports.
On Jan. 10 a Maplewood detective was conducting an investigation at a local pawn shop when he observed Lawrence Axton and Mitchell Kraus pawn a large television.
Less than an hour later, a burglary was reported in the 2600 block of Bellevue Avenue, which happened to be the neighbor of Kraus and Axton.
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The television which Axton, 22, and Kraus, 23, pawned in front of the detective was confirmed to have just been stolen in a burglary which Axton and Kraus are suspected to have committed.
Maplewood Police said Kraus and Axton broke into a neighbor’s apartment between 3:30 p.m. Jan. 9 and 3:30 p.m. Jan 10 and stole a 55-inch, flat-screen television valued at about $1,600.
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Axton and Kraus were arrested shortly thereafter for second degree burglary and felony stealing. Both suspects admitted to committing the burglary.
A $25,000 bond was set for both Kraus and Axton. The charges were issued through the St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office.
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