ST. LOUIS (AP) - Police in the St. Louis area say heroin is to blame for an increase in crime, including killings.
KMOV-TV (http://bit.ly/sVsP4p) reports that authorities on both sides of the Mississippi River are seeing spikes in crime they believe are tied to increased use of the drug.
Four suspects were recently arrested and jailed in connection with three homicides that authorities believe were drug-induced.
Madison County, Ill., has seen a 30-percent rise in home break-ins this year, and authorities believe heroin addicts are partly responsible.
St. Louis County burglaries totaled 1,700 last year. They are already above 1,900 this year, and heroin and other drugs are suspected of playing a role.
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Information from: KMOV-TV, http://www.kmov.com