HILLSBORO, Mo. – Two men have been charged in connection with an armed robbery and kidnapping that culminated in a police pursuit across Missouri and Illinois.
The situation unfolded on Monday, Sept. 3, in the 100 block of Sheffield Lane near Fenton, according to probable cause statements filed by the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office.
The two victims, a man and woman, told authorities they were dropping off the man’s child with the mother. After dropping the child off, two to three men exited the residence while the male victim was retrieving the child’s bag from the backseat.
Authorities claim an armed man approached the male victim and pointed a gun in his face. The victim and the armed man got into a physical altercation, but the victim got away.
That same armed man pointed his gun at the female victim and demanded her cellphone. A second suspect then got into the vehicle, a 2017 Jeep Patriot, and drove away with the female victim inside.
Sheriff’s deputies and officers with the Arnold Police Department chased the Jeep north on Interstate 55. The St. Louis County Police Department continued the pursuit, which continued north into St. Louis City, then into Southern Illinois, and back into the city.
However, the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department closed the roadway and forced the driver of the stolen Jeep to stop and surrender. The female victim was not hurt in the incident.
The Jefferson County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office charged Blake Steadham, 23, with first-degree robbery and unlawful use of a weapon. The second suspect, Tony Bauer, 23, was charged with kidnapping, stealing – motor vehicle, and resisting arrest. Both men are being held at the Jefferson County Jail on a $50,000 cash-only bond.
