ST. LOUIS — Investigators with the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department are seeking the public's help in finding and identifying a man accused of robbing a collegiate van parked at the Arch earlier this month.
Police Sgt. Charles Wall, a spokesman with the department, said on Nov. 10, the Anderson College Women's Basketball team stopped to take some photos at The Gateway Arch located in downtown St. Louis. He said their team van was broken into while parked on Lenor K. Sullivan Boulevard.
Editorial note: The video above was originally broadcast on Nov. 14, 2023.
Anyone with information regarding the identity of the subject is urged to contact Detective Simpson at 314-444-2541 or any 4th District Detective at 314-44-2500. Anonymous tips can be submitted to CrimeStoppers at 866-371-TIPS (8477).
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: NCAA women's basketball team bus broken into, burglarized near Gateway Arch
The Anderson University, Indiana team was heading to the Webster University campus on Nov. 17 to play in the Webster Tip-Off Classic when they stopped at the Arch to take a team photo.
Seventeen players and their coaches left the bus at about 2 p.m. for about 20 minutes. The bus was parked between the Gateway Arch Riverboats and the Arch when the break-in happened. The driver door of the Anderson University van was damaged, police said.
"We walked up to the van and the doors were open. All of our bags were missing and stuff had been taken," Morgan said.
Multiple electronics, driver's licenses and freshman Kaibre Stephan's social security card were stolen. In addition, the team's jerseys and shoes that they needed to play in the tournament were also stolen.
"I kind of thought it was a joke. I thought oh maybe the coaches are just playing a prank on us. They're just trying to get us ready," Stephan said. "At the same time, I was like, they wouldn't do that. That's not them."
One of the players was able to track an electric device to a dumpster of a nearby restaurant.
A parent found all of the personal items inside.
Stephan said her parents, who came to St. Louis to watch her play, helped report the stolen credit cards right away.
Stephan had advice for her fellow collegiate athletes.
"Make sure you take everything with you," Stephan said. "Make sure you're not leaving anything valuable around. It was a weird fear that was instilled in me that weekend. Where I didn't feel safe anywhere I went. That's not a knock to St. Louis because that could happen anywhere."
"I think St. Louis is still a great city," Douglass said. "All the teams that we meet and interact with, they're so fun to play against. Literally on the phone like nope we have jerseys we have old ones. We're going to cover you. I think everyone there is so great. It was just an unfortunate situation that happened."
Anderson will be facing off against Ohio Northern tomorrow for their next game.
A GoFundMe page for the team has been started to try and help replace the stolen jerseys and personal items.