A Poplar Bluff man sits in the Butler County jail on robbery and burglary charges after he allegedly broke into a woman’s house Thursday morning and stole several items.
Alex M. Walster, 26, of the 2300 block of Eugene Boulevard is charged with the Class B felony of first degree burglary and the Class B felony of second degree robbery.
According to the probable cause statement by Poplar Bluff Police Department Detective Jason Morgan, PBPD Cpl. James Henry was dispatched to the front desk at PBPD headquarters at 6:41 a.m. Thursday to take a robbery report. The victim reportedly told Henry she and her son were in the bedroom sleeping when she was awakened that morning by an unknown male in her bedroom telling her to get up and demanding money. He also took the woman’s cell phone and her son’s cell phone.
When the woman asked the robber for her cell phone back, he started hitting her in the head with a flashlight. She began fighting back and they ended up at the bottom of the stairs by the front door, officers were told. He dropped the money by the front door and she told him to pick it up and leave.
The woman provided the phone number to her cell phone and PBPD obtained a search warrant to ping the phone.
Police later received GPS information that indicated the phone was in the 1800 block of Indiana Avenue, according to reports. Morgan, Henry, PBPD Lt. Josh Stewart and Sgt. Shanna Grobe went to the residence and contacted the occupant of that residence.
When Stewart told the occupant PBPD was looking for a stolen cell phone that was pinging at his residence, the occupant explained a young homeless man, identified as Walster, had been staying at his residence on occasion.
The occupant explained Walster was wearing gray sweat pants and a black jacket and was in possession of two cell phones and a sum of currency earlier that day, but that Walster had since left the residence and he did not know where he was going.
At approximately 6 p.m. Thursday, Grobe located Walster walking near the intersection of South Broadway and Timmons Street wearing gray sweatpants, gray tennis shoes and a black jacket. According to officers, surveillance video from Thursday morning’s break-in showed Walster’s current clothing matched the clothing the alleged robber was wearing, he was arrested, processed and later booked at the Butler County jail.
PBPD received information Thursday that also led to the recovery of the phones, according to law enforcement.
Walster is being held without bond at the Butler County jail. He was scheduled to have his initial appearance at the Butler County Courthouse Monday morning.