Police say stolen items tie hotel burglary suspect to other burglaries
Jan. 21—Police say items found inside a stolen vehicle Adam Gustafson had in his alleged possession when he was arrested Jan. 12 at a Joplin hotel tie him to three other burglaries this month.
Gustafson, 38, of Joplin, purportedly was found holed up inside a guest room he was not supposed to be in at Towneplace Suites, 4026 S. Arizona Ave., by officers investigating thefts from a supply room and office at the hotel.
The investigation was prompted by a Cracker Barrel employee's discovery of a safe and dolly left in some grass behind the restaurant at 4010 Richard Joseph Blvd. Officers tracked down ownership of the safe to the nearby hotel, where they learned that some tools and hotel keys also were missing and that there was a trespasser in a room that was supposed to be vacant.
Gustafson was detained and purportedly tied to the hotel thefts by items found in his possession and to a vehicle in the parking lot that had been reported stolen Dec. 19 during a burglary in the 2800 block of East 19th Street. The 2016 Hyundai Tucson bore license plates recently reported stolen in Webb City.
Police said last week that several items recovered from inside the vehicle appeared to have been taken in previous burglaries. A news release issued Thursday states that investigators linked the recovered property to burglaries committed Jan. 11 at the Fairfield Inn, 3301 S. Range Line Road, and Oxford Apartments, 3320 S. Texas Ave., and on Jan. 12 at the Silvercreek Senior Living complex at 3325 S. Texas Ave.
Police said additional charges were being sought on Gustafson.
