Arrest made following storage unit theft

Police have made an arrest in a case involving the apparent theft of property kept in a rental storage unit at 1900 E. First St. in Maryville.

However, Maryville Department of Public Safety Sgt. Ryan Glidden said it is unclear if the alleged theft is related to similar incidents at other storage unit locations earlier this year.

Glidden said the First Street episode was reported on June 22, and that police succeeded in identifying a suspect, who had rented a unit at the same location.

After acquiring a search warrant for the second unit on June 23, police entered the structure and “recovered the bulk of the stolen property from the previous day,” Glidden said.

After the search, officers arrested Steven V. Bush, 27, Maryville, who was subsequently charged with receiving stolen property, a Class C felony. Bush was later released from the Nodaway County jail on $10,000 bond.

If convicted, Bush could face a prison term of between two and seven years, a jail term of up to one year, and a fine of up to $5,000.

Glidden said police are still trying to determine if the incident had anything to do with a series of apparent thefts at other storage units located both inside and outside the city limits.

In some cases, Glidden said, a person or persons unknown are believed to have removed locks from units and replaced them with other locks, apparently so the units could be reentered at leisure.

Authorities are urging area residents who keep property in rented storage structures to check locks for drilled key slots or other damage and to make sure locks have not been switched.

Instances of tampering or lock replacements should be reported to either Maryville Public Safety at 660.562.3209 or the Nodaway County Sheriff’s Department at 660.582.7451.