Three men face multiple felony charges after being arrested in connection with a string of burglaries in and around Cape Girardeau, a police spokesman said.

Steven Johnson, 27, of Cape Girardeau and Xavier Canada, 23, and Marcus Canada, 31, both of Marked Tree, Ark., have been charged in connection with at least three burglaries in Cape Girardeau, said Darin Hickey, public information officer for the Cape Girardeau Police Department.

Hickey said his department was investigating several burglaries that occurred in town, while detectives from the Cape Girardeau County Sheriff's Department were looking into similar cases outside city limits.

"We knew that there was a possibility of the matchup when the investigation started," he said. "We were working together because we knew the possibilities of them being associated, but you never count on that while you're conducting the investigation; you just don't let that leave the back of your mind when you're working the case."

The sheriff's department on Friday reported it had arrested Johnson and Xavier Canada after recovering stolen electronics, jewelry and firearms from two homes and several vehicles.

At that time, the two men were charged with three felonies each. Xavier Canada was charged with burglary, stealing and stealing a firearm, and Johnson was charged with burglary, stealing and receiving stolen property, the sheriff's department reported.

On Monday, Cape Girardeau police reported Xavier Canada also had been charged with second-degree burglary, Johnson had been charged with unlawful possession of a firearm, and Marcus Canada had been charged with unlawful possession of a concealable firearm.

Hickey said more charges are likely as the investigation continues.

"Between our two agencies, they're looking at several charges, and we're still investigating. We're still processing evidence," he said.

The men are believed to have been responsible for a May 7 burglary on Cape Rock Drive. Police released photos taken from surveillance videos in hopes of identifying the suspects in that case.

Hickey said police hope the investigation will clear up more cases and allow them to return stolen property to rightful owners.

"I think about when I was a victim of a burglary, and I was never able to retrieve my property," he said. "Just that psychological factor of being able to get some of that stuff back is big."

Hickey said all three suspects are in custody at the Cape Girardeau County Jail.

epriddy@semissourian.com

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