Two Poplar Bluff men sit in the Butler County jail after they allegedly broke into the Poplar Bluff Motorsports Park and stole several items out of it earlier this month.
Alex M. Govoni, 28, of the 1200 block of Grand Avenue is charged with the Class B felony of first degree burglary and two Class D felony counts of stealing, while Jon R. Stenger, 27, of the 900 block of County Road 468 is charged with the Class B felony of first degree burglary and the Class D felony of second degree domestic assault.
According to the probable cause statement by Poplar Bluff Police Department Detective Dan Mustain, PBPD officers responded to the Poplar Bluff Motorsports Park, located at 1989 Speedway Drive, on the morning of April 9, in regards to a burglary. Park owner Jeremy Roth reported the building at the motorsports park had been burglarized sometime during the previous night.
Roth reported the following items were stolen from the building: a handgun, a laptop, a television set with the power cord, tools, power tools, toolboxes, a med pack for first responders, beverages and rolls of quarters. Additionally, a white Ford F-150 truck was missing from the property.
Roth said he suspected Stenger and his girlfriend committed the burglary because they knew he was not staying at the park the previous evening.
PBPD Patrolman Kris Rinehart contacted Stenger at his residence that afternoon to question him about his involvement in the alleged burglary. Stenger said he was recently rehired at the park and had worked there the day before. He said Roth called him and informed him about the burglary, but Stenger did not know a vehicle had been stolen.
Later that afternoon, the missing Ford truck was located in front of a vacant residence in the 100 block of West Harper Street. While Mustain was on his way to process the truck, he was informed that Stenger’s girlfriend was en route to the hospital and she allegedly had information regarding the burglary.
Rinehart then contacted the girlfriend at the hospital. He reportedly observed bruises and abrasions on her head, arms and chest.
The girlfriend said the previous night, Stenger allegedly assaulted her at his residence and told her he was going to kill her if she did not accompany him. She said she then rode in the passenger seat of her car as Stenger drove to an address past the old police department, then picked up a man named Alex and he sat in the back seat.
They allegedly dropped Alex off at the front gate of the motorsports park, drove around for a bit and returned to Stenger’s residence.
Later, Stenger allegedly received a call from Alex with the location of the stolen vehicle and they went to the vehicle, which was located near where they picked up Alex. The girlfriend said Stenger allegedly collected a few items from the truck, including a side mirror and a battery pack.
Mustain said he suspected Alex to be Alex Govoni because he stayed with his mother, approximately one block away from where the stolen vehicle was located.
Mustain called Govoni’s mother, who allegedly told him that her son got into a white car at approximately midnight and returned sometime later before leaving again in the white car again at around 4 a.m. She also said sometime during the day of April 9, Govoni brought a new television and some beverages into the residence.
A search warrant was executed at Stenger‘s residence on the morning of April 11, and he was arrested at that time. He allegedly told Mustain he became angry at his girlfriend because she reportedly had stayed in Roth’s hotel room. Stenger allegedly went on to say as a means of retaliation, he and his girlfriend picked up Govoni in the girlfriend’s vehicle and dropped him off at the motorsports park, knowing Govoni would break into the building.
Govoni then was arrested on April 19. His shoes allegedly were found to match shoe prints found on Roth’s bed at the motorsports park. Govoni also allegedly confirmed that the burglary was a means of retaliation at Roth for supposedly sleeping with Stenger’s girlfriend.
Stenger currently is being held on $40,000 bond at the Butler County jail, while Govoni is being held on $30,000 bond.