“To keep St. Louis safe and sound, We spread the news, we’re city-bound. With facts and truth, we light the way, For safer streets, both night and day.”

St. Louis’ Crime Chime – Weekly Whirlwind of Woes:  Overview: St. Louis rape fugitive Cortez Burgess was captured in East St. Louis, Illinois, after police responded to armed threats on State Street. Officers recovered an extended-magazine 9mm Masterpiece Arms Defender with 30 rounds and discovered the 24-year-old had an active first-degree rape warrant out of St. Louis, leading to new felony weapons charges in St. Clair County.

St. Louis rape suspect Cortez Burgess captured in East St. Louis after porch standoff with high-capacity 9mm

Porch Standoff Traps Wanted Sex Offender: Cortez Burgess Faces Heavy Prison Sentence After Threatening Victims with a 30-Round Masterpiece 9mm in East St. Louis

Confrontation on State Street

Across the river on a Tuesday night,

Underneath the dim and heavy streetlight,

A call came in around nine-fifteen,

To the eighty-seven hundred block of State Street scene.

Voices rising, tensions spilling fast,

A volatile dispute from the recent past.

Officers pulled up and stepped to the lawn,

Before the shadows of the night were gone.

Two men stood on the porch up high,

Caught in the flash as the blue rolled by.

Detained right there while the facts took shape,

With no clean route or a quick escape.

The Weapon on the Porch

The victim spoke of the fear and dread,

And pointed out what the suspects said:

Threats delivered right up to the door,

A heavy iron brought to settle the score.

Left on the boards where the footsteps land,

Passed from hand to another hand.

Officers searched where the two had stood,

Restoring the calm to the neighborhood.

A nine-millimeter Defender lay bare,

Masterpiece Arms in the evening air.

Unchambered steel, but loaded tight,

With thirty live rounds to fuel the night.

The Warrant and the Catch

The names ran through the dispatch screen,

To see what the record held unseen.

Cortez Burgess, just twenty-four,

Had brought his troubles to the Illinois shore.

A felony warrant waiting across the line,

From St. Louis courts on a serious design—

First-degree rape on the docket sheet,

Brought to an end on this riverfront street.

The cuffs locked down with a double click,

Ending the standoff clean and quick.

St. Clair County took up the pen,

To file the charges on Burgess then:

A Class Three felony for the firearm hold,

No valid FOID for the steel so cold.

The Accountability

Down at the station the paperwork grew,

As detectives pieced what the neighbors knew.

The threats on the porch and the heavy round

Brought another fugitive off the ground.

A reckless choice by the river’s bend,

Brought a fugitive chase to a sudden end.

Behind the bars where the lockup stays,

Cortez Burgess will count his days.

From heartbreaking losses to shocking crimes, these stories paint a sobering picture of the challenges facing our communities. Let’s hope for justice, healing, and a safer tomorrow.

St. Louis Crime Chime: Partnering for a Safer Community

The St. Louis Crime Chime is evolving into a mission-driven organization dedicated to partnering with local public safety agencies and community-focused media, such as The Evening Whirl and Real STL News, to shine a light on social and violence-related issues. Our goal is to provide resources that support both victims and perpetrators of traumatic events, fostering healing and prevention within our community.

Through its St. Louis Crime Chime section. This essential platform empowers residents by highlighting emerging threats and safety concerns, encouraging vigilance and informed decision-making. Beyond reporting, it holds individuals and institutions accountable by keeping arrests and legal proceedings in the public eye, promoting transparency and urging neighbors to protect and support one another.

While the headlines often confront difficult truths, they also serve as a rallying cry for action. By staying informed through reliable sources and official police data, residents can move beyond fear and take an active role in prevention and community-building efforts. Together, we can transform awareness into meaningful change, helping St. Louis write a safer, more hopeful chapter for all.

What You Can Do

• Get Mental Health resources help for you and your family
• For daily updates, check the SLMPD Crime and Investigations page.
• For anonymous tips to the St. Louis police, use the St. Louis Regional CrimeStoppers Hotline at 1-866-371-TIPS (8477)
• The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is available 24/7 for free and confidential support. We provide free & confidential support to people in crisis for any reason, 24 hours a day.
• StopBullying.gov: Offers resources and help lines, including options for youth and veterans (Dial 988 then press 1). 
• Protect our children: https://dss.mo.gov/cd/keeping-kids-safe/can.htm

Stay tuned, stay safe, and remember: “If it’s crime you seek, we’ve got the streak.

#StLouisCrime #CrimeChime #EastStLouis