KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A Kansas City man accused of multiple metro robberies was taken into custody and charged Friday.
Hoang Vu Le, 35, faces second-degree burglary in Clay County Circuit Court.
A probable cause statement detailing Le’s criminal activity stated he was first suspected of being involved with a string of robberies in Overland Park in November. The document stated OPPD alerted Kansas City, Missouri, police Le was the suspect in an “ongoing string of non-residential burglaries targeting Asian businesses” within OPPD’s jurisdiction.
Based on the vehicle information OPPD provided, Le's Chevrolet Equinox was followed the next day into Clay County, where he committed a non-residential burglary in the 8300 block of N. Oxford Avenue.
He allegedly broke a glass front door, stole a cash register and fled in the Equinox, per court documents.
Le was taken into custody and charged with the burglary.
About two months later, Le was released on Jan. 16 and placed on probation and parole.
But in March, Le was found to be connected to another string of burglaries.
- March 11: Officers were called to a non-residential burglary where footage captured Le’s Chevrolet Equinox.
- March 12: A non-residential burglary was reported at Druid Dice Tabletop Gaming, located at 2010 Main Street. The cash register and drawer were stolen.
- March 13: The cash register and drawer at Velo Garage were stolen. The North Kansas City business, located at 1403 Swift Street, reported the non-residential burglary.
- March 17: A non-residential burglary was reported in the 5500 block of N. Antioch Road in Clay County. A cash register and drawer were stolen.
According to the probable cause statement, surveillance footage was collected from each incident.
Detectives determined a light gray/silver Chevrolet Equinox was used in all three; although, investigators were unable to determine the license plate or whether it had been removed.
Additionally, the suspect was spotted wearing the same clothing in two of the three incidents, per the document.
A search warrant was granted March 19, for Le's Chevrolet Equinox. The day after, KCPD Property Crimes detectives responded to Le’s home and “affixed a covert tracking device” to the Equinox.
On Friday, March 21, officers were dispatched to a non-residential burglary at L’acqua Nails and Lashes in the Northland, located in the 4100 block of N. Mulberry Drive.
Detectives said the nail salon's interior surveillance footage showed the suspect wearing a grey hoodie with “22” on the upper back. Detectives also noted a Chevrolet Equinox arrived and left the area around the time of the crime.
Using the tracking device on Le's vehicle, it was uncovered his Equinox pinged in the 4100 block of N. Mulberry Drive before heading to St. John and Garfield Place. The vehicle was next pinged at Le’s home.
Detectives recovered the stolen register from St. John and Garfield. Soon after, officers followed the Equinox and took Le into custody.
A warrant was then obtained to search his home, where a “22” sweatshirt consistent with the burglaries was discovered.
Le denied his involvement in any of the burglaries. He is set to be arraigned Monday afternoon in Clay County Court.
Le’s criminal activity extends across the state line. He was charged Monday in Johnson County with four counts of felony burglary, two felony counts of theft and three counts of felony criminal damage in connection to a string of burglaries in the fall in Overland Park.
Court documents indicated the Overland Park businesses Le targeted include:
- T Nails, Waxing and Lashes on Sept. 25, 2024;
- Ritz Nail Salon on Oct. 23, 2024
- Luxe Nail Spa on Oct. 24, 2024;
- Signature Nail Salon on Nov. 2, 2024.
In 2023, Le pleaded guilty to a 2017 burglary of a Blue Springs Yogurtini. He was sentenced to five years in prison, but his sentence was suspended and Le was placed on probation. This case was ordered to run concurrently with two other cases.
- Second-degree burglary and misdemeanor property charges from July 5, 2017, at a KCMO Papa Murphy's, 7713 State Line Road.
- Two counts of second-degree burglary and two misdemeanor stealing charges related to the June, 27, 2017 burglary of Westport Coffee House (4010 Pennsylvania Avenue) and the July 8, 2017, burglary of Westport Ice Cream Bakery (4020 Pennsylvania Avenue).
Le was also required to pay $3,445 in restitution to Yogurtini.
KSHB 41 News covered the 2017 burglaries by talking with the owners of two of the businesses. You can watch that report in the video player below.
KSHB 41's Sam Hartle contributed reporting to this article.
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