‘Random’ home invasion leads to double pursuit in O’Fallon; five suspects in custody
By Lucas Sellem
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O’FALLON, Missouri (KMOV) — A home invasion in O’Fallon, Missouri, resulted in five suspects being taken into custody after leading police on two pursuits overnight Friday.
“These kids were involved in some dangerous activity, says St. Charles County Prosecutor, Tim Lohmar. “A home invasion with a gun, and stolen vehicles. It’s just a wonder that nobody was killed .”
According to O’Fallon police, officers responded to the area of Winghaven around 1 a.m. Friday after a Flock camera picked up a hit on a stolen car. As officers arrived near the subdivision, they saw the stolen car in question, along with another car following closely behind it. After both cars refused to stop, police said they began pursuing both cars.
One of the drivers led officers on a nearly 30-mile chase, before losing control and crashing in the area of I-170 and Ladue Road. Two suspects were taken into custody. The driver of the other stolen car crashed off of Highway 94 south of Interstate 64 and two more suspects were arrested. A fifth suspect was later found and arrested. Police found a stolen gun at the scene of the second crash, tracing it back to a theft in Florissant.
“It sends the message that if you come out to O’Fallon or St. Charles County and try to engage in this kind of criminal activity we have the ability to catch you and take you into custody,” said Sgt. Bryan Harr of the O’Fallon Police Department.
Police said shortly after the pursuit began, a 911 call was then made regarding a home invasion in the same neighborhood on Hawksbury Place. Police said a group of suspects broke into the home through a door, hit the homeowner in the face with a gun and demanded money and keys. A shot was fired inside the house, going through the wall of the homeowner’s daughter’s room. She was not injured.
“Scary. Traumatizing. You don’t expect it, says neighbor, Jon Brickner. “I’m going to make sure my doors are locked at the end of the day and pay more attention.”
“4 of those 5 suspects were juveniles and I only get to deal with the one adult and it’s hard to say he’s an adult because he’s just 18,” says Lohmar.
All of the suspects are teens: an 18-year-old man, a 17-year-old boy, a 15-year-old boy, a 16-year-old boy and a 15-year-old girl. Hakizimana Claude, 18, is charged with Burglary 1st, Robbery 1st, Armed Criminal Action and Assault 1st. He is currently being held on $2 million bond.
No officers were injured, and the homeowner’s injuries are not life-threatening. Police tell News 4 that the home invasion was random. One of the suspects was caught on camera in another attempted home invasion in St. Louis County last week.
“If they come to St. Charles County and they get caught committing violent crimes like this they are not going to go home the next day,” Lohmar says.
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