Weird Crime: Wrong Tool, Masquerading Officer and Burglars Bringing Down the House

Fatherly advice

In the Father’s Day edition of Weird Crime, we include some fatherly advice that could have helped out some of our featured friends.

The advice “Use the right tool for the right job” might have helped one St. Louis County man. See, needle-nose pliers are great for cutting or bending wire and several other jobs, but not for fending off security guards.

Darnell J. Townes, 42, of Glasgow Village is accused of second-degree robbery outside the Kohl’s store in Bridgeton.

When one guard confronted him, police said Townes hit him with the bag of clothes, dropped the bag and began to run. As Townes ran away, he took a pair of needle-nose pliers from a pocket and held it out towards pursuing security guards.

During the foot chase, Townes tripped over a curb and the security guards detained him until police arrived.

Which brings up this gold nugget from dad: “Watch where you’re going.”

Weird Crime’s father used that one a lot.

Officer material?

A Fenton man, wearing a police hat and a T-shirt with “Police” printed across the front, tried to get into Mercy Hospital after hours to visit his girlfriend, even though as a witness said, “He clearly was not a police officer.”

A Creve Coeur police officer stopped Jerold Baybo as he walked away from the hospital, carrying a duffel bag. When the officer asked Baybo why he was dressed like that, he said he wanted to join the police academy.

After more questioning, Baybo admitted he thought it would help him get inside the hospital to visit his girlfriend.

The officer searched Baybo and found a straight razor and a baggie containing a white powdery substance in his pockets. Inside the duffel bag was another baggie full of an unknown substance, a loaded Beretta 9mm pistol, ammunition, a knife, ski mask, and black gloves.

Police thought he might have been planning to bring his girlfriend drugs.

Baybo, 39, of Fenton, was charged June 1 with unlawful use of a weapon. Officials are awaiting a lab analysis on the substances inside the baggies to determine if any more charges will be filed against Baybo.

Weird Crimes hopes this incident doesn’t negatively impact Baybo’s acceptance into the police academy. 

A faux pas

A man was trying to break into a second-floor balcony at Alice’s Tea Room and Miniatures on Main Street in St. Charles June 1 when a police officer responded to the crime.

The man, Cody Woods, threw an iron patio chair off the balcony at the officer, who had to dodge the chair to avoid being struck.

Woods, 25, of Maryland Heights was charged with burglary, assaulting an officer, second-degree property damage for breaking a window and coach light at the Tea Room, and breach of etiquette for not extending his pinkies while throwing the chair.

There’s no truth to the rumor, which we are trying to start, that Woods has been placed on a diet of weak tea and crumpets while in jail. 

Breaking bad

A burglar who broke into a Chesterfield home and stole a vehicleescaped by ramming the SUV through the garage door.

Police said the theft took place sometime overnight between June 4 and June 5 at a house in the 600 block of Broadmoor Drive in Chesterfield.

Once inside the garage, the person hopped inside a 2012 Toyota Rav4 and opted to drive through the garage door rather than opening it. 

Maybe the burglar thought opening the door would make too much noise and attract attention.