Suspected St. Charles car thief, business burglar to face trial

ST. CHARLES COUNTY, Mo. – A St. Charles man is awaiting trial for a slew of car thefts and business burglaries in the summer of 2023.

Beginning in June 2023, the St. Charles Police Department began investigating a series of crimes using the same modus operandi.

According to probable cause statements filed by police, officers responded to an attempted burglary at a Dobbs Automotive in the 1600 block of Country Club Plaza Drive on May 23, 2023. The suspect used a large rock to smash a window on a rear garage door but did not enter the business.

Just after 11 p.m. on May 29, a woman at a St. Charles business finished her shift and discovered her 2016 maroon Kia Optima had been stolen from the parking lot. Around the same time, St. Louis County police responded to a burglar alarm at Greg’s Automotive in the 11000 block of Midland Boulevard. Video surveillance from that business shows a suspect driving the stolen Kia Optima to and from the scene.

Police obtained a fingerprint from the stolen vehicle and matched to a person of interest. Investigators claim that individual identified Larry T. Smith (age not provided) as the person who was stealing the cars.

On June 1, St. Charles police responded to a business alarm at Zeisler Automotive just before 3 a.m. Officers saw glass on the front door had been smashed in using a metal object. Surveillance video showed the suspect went inside the business. He was driving a blue 2018 Kia Optima.

A short time later, a man woke up and discovered that his car, the aforementioned blue Optima, had been stolen from the parking lot at his apartment building. Two other apartment residents reported to police that their vehicles—also Kia sedans—had been broken into and their steering columns tampered with.

The blue Optima was later recovered at a parking lot in the 10000 block of Mid Rivers Mall Drive in St. Peters after local police responded to a burglar alarm. A white Dodge Charger was also reported stolen in St. Peters. That vehicle was located the following day in Ferguson.

On June 6, St. Charles police investigated a break-in at Axleboy Auto on East Terra Lane. The suspect could be seen driving a white GMC Sierra that was later reported stolen from a separate auto shop. The suspect broke into Axleboy and stole $200 in cash.

The white Sierra was later found behind a Berkeley residence. Police claim a person at the residence said he got the Sierra from Smith and also said he was aware of Smith’s behavior.

On June 8, another stolen car was recovered in the 1500 block of Lakeshore Drive in St. Charles.

Investigators claim available surveillance video points to Smith as the perpetrator. Smith is already on probation for stealing a motor vehicle, according to police and prosecutors. Police met with Smith’s probation officer and showed him surveillance images from the crimes. The probation officer said he believed Smith to be the individual in the images.

Police collected cellphone data and allege it puts Smith at or near the crimes when they occurred.

Smith was arrested on Sept. 1, 2023. He denied being involved in the break-ins and car thefts.

The St. Charles County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office charged Smith with stealing, two counts of stealing a motor vehicle, three counts of first-degree property damage, two counts of second-degree property damage, two counts of second-degree burglary, and second-degree attempted burglary.

Smith remains jailed on a $40,000 bond. He will be arraigned on June 6.