Two men accused of attempted break-in in Miner

MINER, Mo. -- Two Memphis, Tennessee, men were arrested Tuesday after they were accused of trying to break into a construction tailer at a house being renovated in Miner.

Miner police received a call of two men running from 401 Powell St. and a construction trailer found with a lock cut off, with bolt cutters found nearby and a door lying on the ground, officer Robert Watson wrote in a probable-cause statement.

The trailer contained three boxes of construction tools, although nothing was taken, the report stated. A white 2016 Dodge pickup with Tennessee registration was found parked near a fence; the vehicle belonged to a Budget Rental Car franchise in Memphis that had been rented by Kimberlee Allen of Millington, Tennessee, Watson wrote.

Officers recorded the serial number of items and watched the truck to see whether the suspects would return. About midnight, Watson left the area, and the truck was gone.

The truck was found in a Denny's restaurant parking lot in Matthews, Missouri. Miner officers contacted Allen, who told them she met with Jairus D. Alston, 27, and Justin Whitmore, 32, both of Memphis, according to the report. Allen's car was found east of the interstate of the truck stop with Whitmore and Alston inside. Whitmore and Alston denied being in Miner and said they were in St. Louis with the vehicle, Watson wrote.

The truck had been stopped by the Madison County, Tennessee, Sheriff's Department on Jan. 8 on suspicion its occupants had been involved with trailer thefts in the area, although there was not enough evidence for an arrest, Watson wrote.

Madison County deputies took an inventory of items found in the truck, which included bolt cutters that matched the description of those found in Miner. Whitmore was found to be wanted in Mississippi for probation violation -- the original charge was burglary of a vehicle, Watson wrote.

Alston pleaded guilty to burglary of a vehicle and burglary of a building in Shelby County, Tennessee, in 2010 and 2012.

Alston and Whitmore were charged with felony second-degree burglary, felony possession of burglary tools and misdemeanor property damage. A cash-only bond was set for Alston and Whitmore. Allen has not been charged with a crime.

bkleine@semissourian.com

(573) 388-3644

Pertinent address:

401 Powell, Miner, Mo.