The Picayune Police Department is still searching for Matthew Caden Kihlken, 18, of 54 Windy Acres Road in Picayune in relation to a burglary at Picayune Memorial High School on Oct. 18 where some items were stolen.
Detectives identified Kihlken as a suspect through surveillance footage, and his identity was later confirmed by the Mississippi Department of Corrections, Assistant Chief Jeremy Magri said.
MDOC had Kihlken’s photo on file because he is currently serving a three-year suspended sentence for malicious mischief.
That conviction occurred after Kihlken was arrested the night of Nov. 4, 2015 after Picayune Police received a call about a residential burglary at 611 Carroll Street, Magri said.
Upon arrival, officers observed the front door to be open, the back door broken from the outside and other windows broken from the inside, Magri said.
Officers were alerted that one suspect, later identified as Stephen Wayne Tyler Moody, 18, of 6 Richardson Johnson Road, was seen in the area, where officers found him near Roseland Park Elementary School and arrested him for public drunk and residential burglary, Magri said.
Through the continued investigation, officers learned Moody and two other suspects had just left the Carroll Street property.
While being taken into custody, the officer conducted a pat down and discovered Moody was in possession of 14.5 prescription pills and was additionally arrested for possession of a controlled substance.
The two other suspects were identified as Kihlken and Rachael Nicole Bowman, 18, of 75 Hub Lee Road, Brooklyn, Magri said.
Officers were later dispatched to Maple Street after an alleged suspect vehicle occupied by Bowman was sighted, Magri said.
A stop was conducted and Bowman was arrested for residential burglary, Magri said.
Kihlken was spotted on Carroll Street where officers arrested him for residential burglary and public drunk, Magri said.
Complainants notified officers that the three suspects had been evicted from the home on Carroll Street on Oct. 31, 2015, Magri said.
Through further investigation, it was discovered Kihlken and Bowman argued that night and engaged into a physical altercation, resulting in an additional charge of simple assault domestic violence being pressed against Kihlken and Bowman, Magri said.
Pearl River County Circuit Court records show the three were indicted on May 20, 2016 for one count each of felony malicious mischief and burglary.
During Kihlken’s trial on Sept. 9, he pleaded guilty to malicious mischief and the commercial burglary charge was dropped, according to court records.
Judge Prentiss Greene Harrell gave Kihlken a three-year suspended sentence, 200 hours of community service with the Pearl River County Drug Court and required him to submit a three page paper of the effects of a felony record within three weeks, according to court documents.
Fifteenth District Attorney Hal Kittrell said these new allegations against Kihlken pertaining to the break-in at the high school will cause prosecutors to request the court revoke his previous suspended sentence, requiring him to serve the three years, and proceed with new charges.
“I can assure you we are going to prosecute to the fullest extent,” Kittrel said, adding that previous efforts to work with Kihlken were unsuccessful.
“We’re doing everything we can do to make sure he serves time,” Kittrel said.