SAVANNAH, Mo. - The arrest of a 17-year-old may result in clearing a bunch of snatch-and-grab burglaries in three counties during the last three months.

Savannah Police Department officers and the Andrew County Sheriff's Department arrested Aaron Joseph Myers, 17, at 12:22 a.m. Wednesday at Miller's General Store, on U.S. Business Highway 71 in Savannah. This was the third time Miller's had been broken into since Dec. 22.

"I'm just glad it was taken care of," said Larry Miller, the owner of the store. "If this were to continue much longer the insurance company might have begun to think we were a high crime area and raised our rates. So I appreciate the task force, the Sheriff's Department, Savannah PD and Country Club Village police put together. Their determination to solve the cases produced results."

The Andrew County Prosecutor's Office filed a felony charge of second-degree burglary, and two misdemeanors, second-degree property damage and theft of property valued at less than $500, on Wednesday.

Savannah Police Chief Dave Vincent filed a probable cause statement with the courts stating that he and another officer observed Mr. Myers break the glass door on Miller's General Store and enter Wednesday morning. Moments later, the officers saw the suspect leaving with a bottle of alcohol and cigarettes.

"These break-ins have been an annoyance to the family," said Treston Morgan, a clerk at the store and Mr. Miller's grandson.

The broken door was already repaired Wednesday afternoon.

Mr. Myers is a person of interest in a number of other burglaries and break-ins in Andrew County and Savannah, said Bryan Atkins, the sheriff. Following the arrest, a number of items from previously reported burglaries were recovered, Mr. Atkins said.

In Savannah, Pinata's Mexican Restaurant, Just One More pool hall, Gail's Hair Fashion and two additional break-ins at Miller's all contain similarities, Mr. Vincent said.

Authorities are looking at whether incidents at the T-Stop Convenience Store near Amazonia and the BP Gas Station in Country Club Village are connected to Mr. Myers.

Additional charges should be filed this week, Mr. Atkins said. At this time, the department believes the suspect worked alone, the sheriff said.

He was the only person observed on any of the videos, Mr. Vincent said.

"Mr. Myers is a person of interest to the St. Joseph Police Department for a number of incidents at The Shoppes at North Village," said Capt. Kevin Castle, a spokesman for the St. Joseph Police Department. Tuesday, officers from the Platte County Sheriff's Department, Weston Police Department, the three Andrew County law enforcement agencies, and the St. Joseph Police Department met to discuss similarities in a number of cases in the three counties, Mr. Castle said.

Associate Circuit Judge Michael Ordnung set bail for Mr. Myers on Wednesday at $75,000. The defendant remains locked up in the Andrew County Jail.

Marshall White can be reached

at marshall@npgco.com.