On February 24, 2020 Parsons Police Officers made two arrests in connection to a string of burglaries that took place in Parsons.
Amber Lockard, 38 and Shadaiva Benge, 29 were arrested in the 1400 block of Belmont. Currently living in Parsons both individuals are originally from Missouri and are currently on parole for previous felony convictions from Missouri Department of Corrections.

Parsons Police Officer Kyle Shields was notified about a string of vehicle burglaries the took place at the Cardinal Villas and surrounding areas from approximately two weeks ago. During the burglaries a debit card was stolen and subsequently used at a later date at Walmart, 3201 N 16th. Officer Shields was able to view the videos from both incidents and determined that the same suspect that was on video at the Cardinal Villas was also the suspect using the stolen card at Walmart. Viewing the Walmart video led Officer Shields to a vehicle that was used by the suspect. Officer Shields was able to locate the vehicle through an abandoned vehicle tag that was issued by the Police Department.

Officer Shields was able to discover the names and possible location from the available information and tracked the suspects to a house in the 1400 block of Belmont. Officer Shields was able to speak to the owner of the residence and while speaking to the resident information was gained that the potential suspects were present. He was given consent to search for one of the suspects and during the search he noticed items that were reported as stolen from the Cardinal Villas.

A search warrant was obtained for the residence and a large quantity of stolen items were recovered from the home, along with illegal narcotics and paraphernalia. One of the suspects was hiding in the attic under insulation to avoid capture but was eventually located and arrested without incident.

Parsons Police Chief Robert Spinks said "I want to congratulate Officer Shields fine work and dedication to his job. This kind of hard work and determination is what police work is all about, and Officer Shields exemplified excellence in this case. Being able to close numerous cases is difficult in itself but piecing this large of a puzzle together is an awesome feat. I want to remind the citizens of Parsons to report all criminal activity that you witness or are a victim of. If victims would not have filed reports, then officers would not have been aware of what items to look for when conducting an investigation. This is a huge win for the community, the department and Officer Shields and his shift."

The victims of the burglaries are still being contacted to have their property returned. Lockard and Benge are being held and charges are being sent to the County Attorney for review for charging. The list of charges is still being compiled and will be released at a later date.

This continues to be an on-going investigation and citizens are encouraged to "See It, Hear It, Report It." If anyone has any further information on this incident or any other criminal activity, please contact the Parsons Police Department at 421-7060 or call the Tip Line at 421-7057 or email at tips@parsonspd.com.