Two Juveniles Arrested, One Other Being Sought in Burglaries on Effingham's South End

Effingham city police Thursday arrested two juveniles and are seeking a third juvenile in connection with burglaries that occurred the week of February 20 at the former Jumpin' Jimmy's Gas Station and Jimmy's Wine Cellar at 2303 South Banker.

Both businesses, located in the same building, are now owned by St. John's Bank of St. Louis, MO.

In the early morning of February 20, city patrol officers were dispatched to a possible burglary at the location after a report was received of broken glass in the door frame. It was determined that a burglary had occurred, and an indefinite amount of merchandise, including tobacco products, had been stolen.

On February 26, officers conducting routine business checks observed the glass front door to Jimmy's Wine Cellar had been broken and entry had been made into the liquor store portion of the building. Multiple bottles of alcohol, as well as other merchandise, were stolen during that incident.

Later in the evening on February 26, while responding to an unrelated call for service, patrol officers located evidence that connected the suspects to the recent burglaries. Partnering with city investigators, leads were developed in the cases that resulted in the arrests of the juveniles Thursday. Both juveniles are 14 years old, and both are from Effingham.

Effingham Police Chief Jeffrey Fuesting said, "The teamwork displayed by the Bureau of Patrol Officers and Bureau of Criminal Investigations Detectives led to the quick resolution of these crimes. I'm extremely proud of everyone's effort in this investigation."