PB man charged in weekend carjacking

A Poplar Bluff man charged in connection with a possible weekend carjacking made his first appearance in court Monday.

Jeffery M. Moore, 39, of the 2000 block of Sanders Street was to appear before Associate Circuit Judge C. Wade Pierce for arraignment on the Class D felony of first-degree tampering with a motor-vehicle.

Moore is charged with an incident, which occurred at about 1:55 p.m. Saturday in the 2000 block of Sanders Street and was investigated by the Poplar Bluff Police Department.

Officers, according to Lt. Joe Ward’s report, were sent to the intersection of Wallace and Vaden streets “in reference to a subject being detained who had just stolen a vehicle” in the 2000 block of Sanders Street.

Ward said he contacted two men, who were holding a man, later identified as Moore. The men reportedly were holding Moore at gunpoint.

“Both stated they were advised Jeffery had just stolen a van … (one of the men) began to follow Jeffery in an attempt to recover the van,” Ward said. “ … (The man) stated he followed Jeffery in his vehicle and lost sight of him for a few seconds.”

The man, Ward said, further reported following Moore to the 1900 block of Bradley Street, where Moore was seen entering a home and exiting a short time later.

Ward said the man then followed Moore to the intersection of Wallace and Vaden streets, where Moore was detained until officers arrived.

After securing Moore in his patrol car, Ward said, he contacted the van’s owner and her passenger.

The owner reported having gotten out of her van and entered a Sanders Street residence with her daughter. When she came back out, her van and her passenger reportedly were gone.

Ward said the passenger reported she was sitting in the van in front of the residence “when Jeffery jumped in and took off.”

The woman, Ward said, alleged Moore pulled a handgun, pointing it at her.

The woman, according to her statement, further alleged Moore “told me to get out. I jumped out while the car was still driving” and ran back to the Sanders Street home.

One of the men who detained Moore reported seeing the woman “pushed out of the van.”

Ward said Cpl. Steve Nance also contacted the Bradley Street resident, who reported “she didn’t know Jeffery nor did she give Jeffery permission to enter her residence.”

Moore, the woman alleged, shoved his way in and sat on her couch for a few minutes, Ward said.

When Moore was “advised the police (were) en route, he walked out and left,” Ward said.

According to the woman’s statement, Moore had been “talking” about the “law owes him and acting really not there in the head.”

The woman said Moore later came back and allegedly tried to push her door open again, but “my sister was there to hold the door closed … then he left again.”

After his arrest, Moore was taken to the police station, where he was booked and told of his rights.

When asked why he stole the van, “he advised it was all a big misunderstanding because he owns all of them vehicles around there,” Ward said.

Ward said searches of Moore’s person, the van and the area where Moore was found were conducted, and the firearm was not found.