De Soto police are searching for an armed robbery suspect who fled a Casey's General Store in a customer's stolen car early Monday, and investigators say the case may be connected to a residential burglary and a separate motor vehicle theft reported around the same time. The suspect remains at large, according to police.
Officers responded to a report of an armed robbery at the Casey's General Store at 1900 North Main Street in De Soto, Missouri, according to KSDK. Police say officers then saw a white Ford Fusion leaving the store that had reportedly been stolen from a customer at gunpoint. An officer pursued the vehicle along Highway 110 and northbound Highway 67 before losing sight of it near the intersection of Highway 67 and Highway CC.
Investigators Eyeing Possible Links to Other Early-Morning Crimes
Per police, investigators believe the robbery is connected to several other incidents that happened early Monday, including a residential burglary and a motor vehicle theft. The suspect's identity has not been released. Police say the investigation is ongoing.
De Soto police are asking anyone with information to contact the department at 636-586-8891. The suspect was not in custody as of the police department's statement, per the same account.
A Separate Crime Spree Played Out Nearby
Elsewhere in the region, a separate case unfolded Sunday that also involved an armed robbery and a vehicle pursuit, though nothing in the available reporting ties it to the De Soto search. According to KSDK, 33-year-old Jonathon Lyles was arrested Sunday after an alleged armed-robbery, car-theft and police-chase crime spree through Jefferson and Ste. Genevieve counties.
In that case, the Arnold Police Department sent out an alert at about 7:40 a.m. Sunday, after which a Jefferson County sheriff's deputy spotted the suspect vehicle and began a pursuit when it failed to stop. The chase ended due to danger caused by Lyles driving the wrong way on Highway 67, according to the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office. The stolen Porsche involved in that incident was later abandoned in the Hawthorne Hills neighborhood south of Festus.
That report also says Lyles allegedly attempted to break into one home before allegedly entering a nearby house and demanding money, car keys and a cellphone from a 76-year-old woman. He was charged with assault, armed criminal action, first-degree burglary, two counts of stealing, first-degree motor-vehicle tampering, two counts of fleeing creating a substantial risk of serious injury or death, and two counts of fourth-degree assault. As of Sunday night, Lyles was being held at the Jefferson County Jail without bond.
It remains unconfirmed whether the two cases are related in any way. For now, the De Soto robbery suspect has not been identified publicly, and police continue to ask residents to come forward with any information that could help the investigation.
