Update on Motor Vehicle Theft

NEWS FROM O’FALLON CITY HALL FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

**Update: It has been confirmed that the East St. Louis Police Department located the silver Audi and subsequently took four males into custody.**

O’Fallon, Illinois – Around 9:16 a.m. on Thursday morning, the O’Fallon, Illinois Police Department received information from the Swansea Police Department regarding three black males occupying a silver Audi attempting to break into vehicles.  Shortly thereafter, the Fairview Heights Police Department located the silver Audi occupied by three black males.  Additionally, the Fairview Heights Police Officer obtained the Missouri vehicle registration which revealed the vehicle to be stolen during an “armed vehicular hijacking” in St. Louis City.

At approximately 10:15 a.m., the O’Fallon Police Communications Center received a call from a concerned citizen reporting a SUV pulling a trailer and the doors to the trailer were open.  This vehicle departed the Schnuck’s parking lot in the 900 block of East Highway 50 traveling westbound.  Almost simultaneously, O’Fallon Police Communications received another phone call from an individual reporting his SUV and pull behind box trailer stolen from the Schnuck’s lot.  The initial caller continued to provide Telecommunications with the location of the now stolen SUV until O’Fallon Officers arrived in the area.  Furthermore, the caller provided information that she believed a second suspect vehicle was involved and described such vehicle as a silver Audi with Missouri registration.

O’Fallon Officers located the stolen SUV with trailer traveling southbound on Scott-Troy Rd approaching U.S. Highway 50.  When Officers attempted to stop the SUV, it fled eastbound on Highway 50 towards Lebanon.  At this point O’Fallon officers terminated their attempts.  Soon after, a Lebanon Police Officer located the stolen SUV traveling southbound on Rte. 4 and began to pursue.  As the SUV entered westbound I-64, the trailer came off the hitch and crashed on the shoulder of the westbound entrance ramp.

The pursuit of the SUV entered O’Fallon again from the Greenmount Road interchange and then westbound on Regency Park Dr.  The stolen SUV then crashed into the Jack Schmitt Chevrolet security gate located at 127 Regency Park Dr.  Two black male occupants fled on foot from the crash and were subsequently taken into custody a short distance away.

While this incident was unfolding, an O’Fallon Police Officer located the silver Audi travelling westbound in the 200 block of East Highway 50.  As he attempted to stop the Audi, it fled northbound on Lincoln Ave.  For public safety reasons, the O’Fallon Officer did not pursue the Audi.

Because this incident involved an unknown number of possibly armed suspects, local O’Fallon schools were placed on lockdown until the situation was deemed secured.

O’Fallon Police currently have two male juveniles in custody.  The silver Audi and its unknown occupants remain at large.  No Police Officers or suspects were injured during the incident.

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Additional Information Contact:
Captain James Cavins
O’Fallon, Illinois Police Department
618-477-1958 (cell)
618-624-9539 (office)