One Adult, Two Juveniles Taken Into Custody Following I-55 Chase In Vehicle Reported Stolen

An adult and two juveniles were taken into custody on Sunday after driving through Ste. Genevieve County at a high rate of speed and then leading a police chase in a vehicle reported stolen in the city of St. Louis.

Ste. Genevieve County Sheriff’s Offce deputies were conducting a stationary radar on Interstate 55 at 10:56 p.m. on Sunday [June 16] when the vehicle, a silver 2013 Ford Escape sport utility vehicle (SUV), approached them traveling southbound. The vehicle appeared to be traveling faster than the normal rate of speed.

A deputy confirmed the vehicle was traveling 96 miles per hour in a posted 70 mph zone.

After the vehicle passed the deputy, he identified it as a silver sport utility vehicle. The deputy pulled out behind the SUV and activated his emergency equipment to initiate a traffic stop on it.

The SUV took an extended amount of time — approximately 1 minute 8 seconds — to pull over, but eventually pulled over onto the right shoulder at the 152 mile marker.

The vehicle had a temporary license that expired on October 27, 2018.

Prior to the deputy exiting the patrol vehicle to make contact with the driver, the vehicle accelerated quickly and continued south on I-55. For approximately 30 miles, the Ford failed to yield as the deputy traveled behind it with emergency equipment activated. The Ford’s tires were eventually deflated by use of multiple sets of tire deflation devices.

At 11:21 p.m., the Ford crashed into a cable restraint median barrier at the 122 mile marker southbound in Perry County and came to a stop. Deputies from Ste. Genevieve County as well as several Perry County deputies conducted a felony traffic stop on the Ford.

Three occupants of the Ford were then detained at 11:28 p.m.

Two were juveniles — a 13-year-old black male and a 16-year-old black male — and was an adult, a 17-year-old black male.

All three subjects were taken into custody without further incident.

Deputies contacted dispatch to check the Ford’s vehicle identification number through the statewide computer database. The Ford was a stolen vehicle.

The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department reported the date of the theft as June 16.

Central dispatch confirmed with St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department that the Ford was an active stolen vehicle.

The Ford was towed from the scene to the Ste. Genevieve County Sheriff’s Office impound lot.

Deputies transported the adult to the Ste. Genevieve County Sheriff’s Office and the juveniles to the Juvenile Detention Center in Farmington.

Deputies conducted an interview of the adult on Monday, June 17.

After waiving his Miranda rights, the adult admitted to stealing the car as well as assisting the juveniles in attempting to steal another vehicle in St. Charles County.

He also admitted to being involved in another pursuit with law enforcement earlier in the day in St. Louis County but was able to evade the officers.

The adult is also a person of interest in a burglary — first degree out of St. Louis County. The case was entered into the statewide database in April of this year.

The adult is being held pending formal charges from the Prosecuting Attorney’s Office.

The juveniles are being held at the Juvenile Detention Center in Farmington.

(Information in a release from the Ste. Genevieve County Sheriff’s Office.)