Two St. Louis, Mo., women are accused of leading authorities on a high-speed chase Wednesday night after they allegedly stole nearly $550 in merchandise from the Wal-Mart Supercenter.
At about 9:55 p.m. Wednesday, Poplar Bluff police officers were sent to Wal-Mart regarding a shoplifter, according to Patrolman James Henry's report.
The suspects were identified as two black female adults, who were accompanied by two black juveniles, and reported they had left heading north on Westwood Boulevard in a maroon Dodge Challenger, Henry said.
Patrolman Billie Duckett reportedly made contact with a loss-prevention employee, who provided him with the first three letters/numbers on the car's license plate.
"I was traveling southbound on Business 67 (Westwood Boulevard) and observed a maroon Dodge Challenger with (a matching plate) traveling northbound on Business 67 at Oak Grove Road," Duckett said in his report.
Duckett said he activated his patrol car's emergency lights and attempted to make a traffic stop on the car near Barron Road.
"The vehicle continued to travel northbound on 67 and finally pulled to the shoulder of the road" near the on ramp to U.S. 60, Duckett said. "(It) slowed down, then fled at a high rate of speed back on 67."
At that point, Duckett said, he activated his car's emergency siren, and the vehicle allegedly failed to yield, continuing northbound on Highway 67.
"The vehicle was traveling between 88 and 111 mph, passing several vehicles," Duckett said.
Contact, he said, was made with the Missouri State Highway Patrol, and troopers were going to set spike strips near the Greenville bridge.
The car's driver, later identified as Kayla Shontrece Gaines, "stopped the vehicle just prior to the spike strips," Duckett said.
Gaines, he said, was removed from the vehicle and handcuffed. The other occupants, Alexis S. Moore and two children, a 6-year-old boy and 4-year-old girl, also were taken to the police department.
According to Henry, the car was towed to the police department, where it was inventoried.
The alleged stolen merchandise was removed from the car, said Henry, who indicated a small bag of suspected marijuana also was found in a wallet, which contained Moore's identification.
Henry said "multiple marijuana roaches were located in the ashtray of the vehicle."
During the investigation, Henry said, contact was made with a Wal-Mart loss-prevention employee, who reported he saw, while watching the store's surveillance video, two women at the self-checkout.
The woman, identified as Moore, reportedly was scanning the items, while Gaines "began bagging items, which had not been scanned," Henry said. "Moore paid for the 10 items she had scanned."
The women, Henry said, then made their way to the south doors, "where they were unable to provide receipts for all the merchandise.
"Moore and Gaines pushed the two carts full of merchandise to a vehicle and began loading the items in the rear of the Dodge Challenger."
The women and children, Henry said, then left the parking lot, allegedly leaving behind some of the merchandise in the shopping cart. The alleged stolen merchandise totaled more than $543, he said.
Gaines, 25, was arrested on suspicion of driving while revoked/suspended, failure to yield to an emergency vehicle, two counts of second-degree endangering the welfare of a child, speeding, resisting arrest, stealing and possession of fewer than 10 grams of marijuana.
Moore, 24, was arrested on suspicion of two counts of endangering the welfare of a child, possession of fewer than 10 grams of marijuana and stealing.
Both were booked at the Butler County jail.
Henry said the 4-year-old girl was released to her grandmother per Moore's request.
Gaines, he said, was unable to find anyone to take custody of the boy, who subsequently was turned over to Missouri Children's Division personnel.