On September 19, deputies responded to Jonesburg for a report of an assault in which an intoxicated male choked a female. Deputies located the suspect in the driver’s seat of a vehicle attempting to leave. Deputies requested the suspect to exit the vehicle, but he refused. Deputies assisted the suspect out of the vehicle as he resisted and screamed profanities. Through further investigation deputies learned the suspect had consumed a large quantity of alcohol and had attempted to fight several people, although no one wished to pursue charges. The suspect was arrested, transported to the MC Jail and charged with resisting arrest.

Also on September 19, deputies learned of a subject in Wellsville with an active warrant for passing bad checks. Deputies were able to locate the subject at their residence. The subject was arrested and transported to MC Jail on the warrant without issue.

Again on September 19, deputies observed a subject operating a vehicle they knew did not possess a valid driver’s license. Deputies stopped the vehicle in the Montgomery City area and upon contact with the driver, verified her license had been expired since 2018. The driver was arrested, transported to the MC Jail and charged with operating a motor vehicle without a license.
On September 20, deputies observed a vehicle traveling at 105 mph on Interstate 70. Deputies stopped the vehicle for the excessive speed. Upon contacting the driver she advised she was driving that fast because, as a woman alone, she was scared. She further advised she had recently received numerous citations from other agencies for speeding. The driver was arrested, transported to the MC Jail and charged with speeding.

On September 21, the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office was notified of an active shooting on Interstate 70, near the 183-mile-marker. Deputies were advised that a subject wearing a mask was chasing another vehicle and actively shooting at the occupants. While responding to the incident, officers located the suspect vehicle traveling at a high rate of speed. Deputies tried to initiate a traffic stop and the driver fled east on Interstate 70 at speeds in excess of 110 mph. The pursuit continued into a construction zone where the driver traveled on the shoulder of the roadway, drove between vehicles and drove through orange construction cones blocking a new portion of Interstate 70 where construction work was underway. The Jeep eventually reached an unfinished section of roadway, became airborne, left the right side of the roadway and became disabled. Three juveniles, two 17-year-old males and one 14-year-old male, exited the vehicle. Two of the juveniles were immediately taken into custody. The driver, a 17-year-old male, fled on foot carrying what was believed to be a firearm. With assistance from the Warren County Sheriff’s Office, Missouri State Highway Patrol and Warrenton Police Department, the driver was later located hiding in a lagoon and taken into custody. A search of the suspect vehicle revealed an extended magazine containing two rounds in the floorboard. During the investigation deputies learned the incident was sparked by a failed drug transaction. The victim’s vehicle sustained a total of nine bullet holes in the rear of the vehicle. A second, uninvolved vehicle was also struck by gunfire, with a bullet traveling through the vehicle’s window and into the driver’s seat. No injuries were reported as a result of this incident. All three juveniles were transported to the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office and subsequently remanded to the custody of the Juvenile Division facing charges of assault 1st degree, unlawful use of a weapon, armed criminal action, aggravated fleeing and resisting arrest.

On September 24, deputies responded to Berger Road in the Middletown area for a report of a missing 10-year-old juvenile. Family members reported the child had gone outside to feed a dog and could not be located approximately an hour later. Deputies and citizens began searching the surrounding property, creek bed, fields and wooded areas while additional law enforcement personnel and fire departments responded to assist. After an extensive search the juvenile was located safely approximately two hours after the initial report and was returned home. A follow-up investigation was initiated, including a referral to the Missouri Department of Social Services.

We would like to sincerely thank the citizens who assisted with the search, along with the Middletown Fire Protection District, Bellflower Fire Protection District, Montgomery Fire Protection District and everyone else who responded and helped bring this child home safely. The willingness of so many people to immediately come together when a child is missing reflects the strong sense of community we are fortunate to have here in Montgomery County.