Man charged with twice burglarizing Tower Grove South home

ST. LOUIS   •   Authorities have charged a St. Louis man with 18 felonies on allegations he twice burglarized a home in Tower Grove South neighborhood and held the female homeowners at gunpoint. 

Ryan Hudson, 20, of the 1100 block of Hornsby Avenue, was arraigned Monday on multiple charges of first-degree robbery, first-degree burglary, kidnapping and armed criminal action. He is being held on $150,000 cash-only bail.  

Hudson allegedly had an accomplice. Authorities said he has not yet been charged and the case is still under investigation. 

According to charges, the first incident occurred Jan. 5 around 4:30 a.m. at the home on the 3800 block of Utah Place. Police say Hudson and another man kicked in the back door and forced the two women into the living room at gunpoint. One victim had a gun held to her head as she was forced to place about $5,000 into a bag for the burglars. She told police it was money from their business that an employee had dropped off shortly before the break-in.

The men left after about a half hour. 

Police say Hudson and the same man returned to the home on Jan. 17 around 1 a.m. This time, according to charges, the men climbed through a second-floor window above the front porch. Again, they were armed. The women said they were forced to the first floor, then the basement, while the men ransacked the home, making off with $4,000, some jewelry, an iPhone and the keys to their business. One woman told police she was punched in the face.

Police say Hudson later confessed to both incidents.

At the time of the second burglary, police said the women's business, the Attitudes nightclub at 4100 Manchester Avenue in the Grove, was also broken into. Police have not said whether anything was stolen, and did not elaborate on the incident when reached Monday.