A man is facing criminal charges in a case involving a St. Louis County Public Works employee. St. Louis Magazine reported on the case.
According to St. Louis Magazine, the case involves an encounter between a man and a county worker.
The magazine's account of charging documents says Luton had previously filed numerous sunshine requests seeking information about Public Works employees who had responded to complaints about his property. The documents also report that numerous complaints had been made about him over time.
What County Noise Rules Provide
For noise complaints, St. Louis County's noise code says that when the director determines a violation exists, the responsible person must receive written notice describing it and specifying a time to correct it. The abatement period cannot exceed 60 days from the date the notice is sent. This provision does not establish whether Luton or his devices violated the code, and it does not set out rules for directed outdoor lighting.
Luton's Attorney Pushes Back on the Charges
Luton's attorney, Ethan Corlija, called the case “infuriating” and described the felony robbery charge tied to the lanyard and pen as “ginned up.” Corlija gave a different account of the encounter. He said Luton asked to see identification but did not order anyone to the ground, and that Luton called police only after he had already gone back inside.
Corlija told the magazine the noise machine on Luton's property was intended to keep rodents away, though he said he could not speak to the purpose of the lighting apparatus. He also said complaints against Luton were driven by two neighbors, and that the sunshine requests at issue concerned municipal court cases over property-line disputes between Luton and those neighbors. Corlija objected to charging documents that included information about Luton's public-records requests.
What a Magazine Visit Found
St. Louis Magazine reported seeing lights in front of Luton's home pointed toward the neighboring house, and hearing a high-pitched sound recur at frequent intervals.
A History of Neighbor Disputes
A police report cited by the magazine describes a separate 2022 dispute between Luton and another neighbor over trees cut in Luton's yard. The elderly neighbor reportedly acknowledged jokingly poking Luton with a stick after criticizing him for having his mother do lawn work. Luton told police the poke caused him to fall into his door jamb; police declined to pursue assault charges against the neighbor. In a restraining-order filing, Luton accused the same neighbor of shoving him into a brick wall.
St. Louis Magazine reported that Luton remained in custody on $500,000 bond after the judge's ruling on October 19. The case was reported by Ryan Krull, a staff writer for the magazine.
