A 2025 attempt to steal a Dodge Charger in Raytown allegedly spiraled into a burst of gunfire that left the victim with catastrophic facial injuries and without both eyes. More than a year later, an 18-year-old Raytown man has been charged in the case, while two other suspects remain unidentified.
Nathaniel L. Pearson faces first-degree assault, armed criminal action and attempted stealing of a motor vehicle in connection with the May 10, 2025, shooting, according to KCTV5. Prosecutors say Pearson was a juvenile when the shooting happened, but a Jackson County Family Court judge certified him to stand trial as an adult on July 20.
Raytown police responded around 3:45 a.m. to a reported shooting at a home, where officers found the victim on a front porch bleeding heavily from the face, according to the Raytown Police Department. Investigators said the victim and the Dodge Charger's owner were awakened by the vehicle's alarm after someone began tampering with the car.
Court records described in the report allege that Pearson opened the Charger's hood, removed its fuse and fuse-box cover, and moved toward the driver's-side door. When the victim confronted him, prosecutors said Pearson and a second suspect opened fire, followed by a third suspect who was hiding behind a tree at a neighboring property.
The victim reportedly crawled toward another vehicle for cover as the shooting continued, then was struck in the face by additional gunfire. Investigators later matched latent fingerprints from the Charger to Pearson through the Missouri State Highway Patrol Crime Lab's Automated Fingerprint Identification System, KCTV5 reported.
According to the FBI, the nationwide rate of motor vehicle theft incidents rose from 199.4 per 100,000 people in 2019 to 283.5 in 2023, situating local vehicle-theft stories within a broader national trend. Data from CDE (cjis.gov) show that both the total number of carjacking incidents and the rate per 100,000 people increased from 2019 to 2022 and then decreased between 2022 and 2023.
Pearson was later located at the Clay County Detention Facility, where he was being held on an unrelated motor vehicle tampering charge. Court records also show a prior juvenile arrest for tampering with a motor vehicle, and investigators said Pearson invoked his right to remain silent when contacted. According to the Missouri Office of State Courts Administrator, annual caseload statistics track juvenile filings across circuit courts statewide, which can provide context on how often juveniles are processed and transferred in Missouri. The Missouri Division of Youth Services' FY 2024 Annual Report, according to the department, includes an overview of agency operations and statistics about the young people and families the agency served.
Charges Could Bring Decades Behind Bars
First-degree assault is a Class A felony carrying 10 to 30 years, or life, in prison, with at least 85% of a sentence required before parole eligibility. Armed criminal action carries an additional three to 15 years served consecutively, while attempted stealing of a motor vehicle carries one to seven years.
A Jackson County judge set Pearson's bond at $100,000 cash only, and he remained in Clay County custody as of Wednesday. Detectives are still working to identify the two additional suspects.
