A burglary charge recently was filed against a Poplar Bluff man who allegedly fled from a Highway 60 West home and led to a father and his daughter crashing their vehicles while in pursuit of him.
Payten James O’Neil Ice, 19, recently was charged with the Class D felony of second-degree burglary by Butler County Prosecuting Attorney Kacey Proctor.
Ice is accused of burglarizing the Eric Taylor residence in the 15700 block of Highway 60 West on April 19.
Butler County deputies responded at about 12:30 p.m. to an alarm at the Taylor home, according to Deputy Matt Cagle’s report.
Cagle reportedly found evidence of forced entry, but no one inside.
Cagle said he subsequently contacted the homeowner, Sandy Taylor, who reported having been told a yellow Chevrolet Cavalier had been seen parked in the driveway a short time earlier.
Sandy Taylor, Cagle said, further reported her daughter, McKenzie, had seen a car matching the yellow Cavalier as she was nearing their home and began following the car.
McKenzie Taylor, according to Deputy Cody Wilson’s report, called dispatch and provided a license plate number.
“McKenzie told the dispatcher the vehicle was now fleeing from her,” Wilson said. “McKenzie said her and her dad were now chasing the vehicle southbound on Highway PP.”
Wilson said the dispatcher lost contact with the younger Taylor several times due to poor cellphone service.
Wilson reportedly was given McKenzie Taylor’s last known location at the end of Highway TT.
Upon arriving in the area, Wilson said, he followed skid marks along county roads 434 and 455 and found two vehicles that had wrecked into each other at the end of County Road 455.
Wilson said he subsequently contacted McKenzie Taylor and her father, who had been operating the wrecked vehicles. Both vehicles reportedly were totalled in the crash.
The Taylors, Wilson said, reported the suspect vehicle had “slammed on its brakes, coming to a stop.
“Eric said he slammed on his brakes, and his daughter, McKenzie, wrecked into his (Eric’s) vehicle,” Wilson said. “Eric said the driver of the suspect vehicle exited and started walking back to him acting ‘tough,’ asking what they wanted.
“Eric said he drew his pistol on him and told him to stop and not move.”
The passenger, later identified as Ice, “got in the driver’s seat” and took off in the car east on Highway M.
Deputies later learned the suspect vehicle had been seen traveling in the area of County Road 480 and County Road 484 and began searching that area for the car.
Sgt. Aaron Pratt reportedly saw the Cavalier heading east on County Road 484 and attempted to initiate a traffic stop.
“The driver of the vehicle immediately fled at a high rate of speed and continued east on County Road 484,” Pratt wrote in his report. “As the pursuit ensued, I lost visual of the vehicle as it turned north onto County Road 461.”
Pratt said he was flagged down by a citizen, who reported seeing the car turn into a driveway and travel through a field toward a wooded area.
The property, Pratt said, was owned by a member of Ice’s family.
Pratt said the car was found abandoned at the back of the field near the wooded area.
An extensive search was conducted, but Ice was not found, Pratt said.
The driver, according to Investigator Brandon Lowe’s probable-cause statement, was interviewed and initially reported being paid to take Ice and a female to Springfield, Mo.
While en route, Lowe said, the driver reported he became tired and pulled in the Taylor residence to rest.
Lowe said the man subsequently reported he was scared of Ice, who had arrived at a Poplar Bluff residence where he had been at.
“(The man) stated that Ice agreed to pay him if he would take them to a residence on Highway 60 West,” Lowe said. “(He) stated that Ice had got information that there were several guns inside the residence.”
Lowe said the man further reported he believed it was Ice’s intentions to steal the guns.
The man, Lowe said, drove Ice and the woman to the Taylor home, where the woman knocked on the door to see if anyone was home.
After Ice and the woman got out, Lowe said, the man drove to the end of the driveway.
“(The man) stated that a short time later he was contacted by (the woman) via text message wanting him to pick her and Ice up on the side of 60 Highway,” Lowe said. “(He) stated that Ice was holding a leaf blower … and began stating ‘go, go.’”
Lowe said the man then reported he “took off” from the area, and the victims began following them and subsequently crashed their vehicles.
On June 25, the Missouri State Highway Patrol received information regarding Ice’s whereabouts, said. Lt. Charles Phelps.
Troopers and deputies arrested Ice at a residence on Nellie Sue Circle, Phelps said.
Ice was arrested on three Butler County warrants for three Class C felonies of delivery of a controlled substance, two Class E felonies of unlawful use of a weapon and the Class E felony of resisting arrest.
He was booked at the Butler County jail, where he remains in custody. He is to appear July 29 for preliminary hearings in his original cases.