Wichita man stole cash, iPads & peaches in spree targeting churches, vet clinic
A 49-year-old man was ordered Friday to spend more than 11 years in prison for a string of burglaries at several churches, spas, an animal clinic and other businesses in the Wichita area last year.
Prosecutors say Stephen D. Rowell’s months-long crime spree included 11 burglaries in Wichita, Goddard, Maize and Mulvane between May and August 2025. Among his targets:
- Massage Envy, which lost money and iPads in a May 4 break-in
- Solace Nails and Spa, where a wallet and its contents were stolen on May 9
- New Hope Bible Church, which had peaches stolen and a window damaged on May 20
- Bridgeport Missionary Baptist Church, where money was stolen and a collection box was damaged on June 6
- Mulvane Animal Clinic, which lost money, keys, business account information, a beverage and other miscellaneous property on June 8. The clinic’s ceiling and floor were damaged
- June 20 break-ins at Select Physical Therapy and El Amigo Western Wear, where keys, money, personal items and a cash register and drawer were stolen and some drywall was damaged
- Riverside Christian Church, which lost electronics, money, food and a financial card that Rowell later used to pay for a minibike, cigarettes, groceries and other items. A safe, doors and lights at the church were damaged in the July 9 break-in
- Stella Nails and Spa, where money and a manicure set were stolen on July 18
- Harter Physical Therapy, where electronics, a cash box and personal items including hair products were stolen on July 22. A cabinet was damaged
- The Popcorner, which had its cash drawer stolen and a door damaged on Aug. 12
“The case was solved through a coordinated effort by the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office along with police departments from Wichita, Goddard, and Maize,” the Sedgwick County District Attorney’s Office said in a news release Friday.
“Investigators used security camera footage to identify Rowell as the suspect, and the Sedgwick County Forensic Science Center later matched Rowell’s DNA to evidence recovered from a crime scene.”
Rowell, of Wichita, pleaded guilty in March to 11 counts of burglary across nine different criminal cases. Several counts of theft, criminal damage to property, criminal use of a financial card and possession of drug paraphernalia were dismissed in exchange for his plea, court records show.
Rowell was already under Kansas Department of Corrections department supervision when he committed the crimes, leading Sedgwick County District Judge Kevin Mark Smith to order Friday’s sentence “to run consecutively to his previous convictions,” the release says. The judge sentenced Rowell to 136 months, court records show.
“This means Rowell must finish serving his time for his prior crimes before the new 11-year term begins,” the release says.
In addition to serving prison time, Rowell must also pay more than $28,000 in restitution to the burglary victims, according to the DA’s news release. His lawyer did not immediately respond to a request for comment Saturday.
