What started as a routine traffic stop and ended with an alleged homemade explosive turned into a busy week for Jefferson County deputies, who also tracked down a burglary suspect in High Ridge days later. Both arrests involved weapons, one reportedly involved a homemade pipe bomb, and both suspects are still sitting in the Jefferson County Jail while prosecutors sort through the cases. The sheriff’s office laid out the details and posted photos on its social media page.
According to the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office, deputies pulled over a vehicle on May 24 after spotting expired license plates that were actually registered to a different car. The post states deputies arrested driver Brian E. Taylor at the scene and recovered multiple firearms, a glass smoking device with residue and burn marks, and an object investigators described as a homemade pipe bomb. The sheriff’s message adds that Taylor is a convicted felon with outstanding warrants and is being held without bond at the county jail.
Bomb Squad and ATF Called In
The sheriff’s post notes that the St. Louis Regional Bomb and Arson Unit and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives were brought in to assist at the scene. It also states that Prosecuting Attorney Trisha Stefanski and members of the Jefferson County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office reviewed and filed charges in the related cases. The county’s official site explains that the Prosecuting Attorney’s Office is responsible for reviewing and filing felony cases in Jefferson County.
High Ridge Arrest Follows Days Later
Investigators then tracked down Tony K. Stewart and took him into custody on May 27 in High Ridge, the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office said in its Facebook post. According to that post, Stewart was charged with first-degree burglary and unlawful use of a weapon and is being held at the Jefferson County Jail on a $50,000 surety bond.
What Happens Next
All of the charges described by the sheriff are allegations and must be proven in court. The county’s prosecution overview describes how felony cases move from intake and warrant units through preliminary hearings and on to circuit court, and those same procedures will govern how these two cases move forward. The sheriff’s office asked anyone with information to call its non-emergency dispatch line or submit a tip through its online report form.
