A Missouri state trooper responded to a report of suspicious activity near the Philadelphia, Missouri, area last Saturday.
A member of the public had contacted the trooper in reference to three people who appeared to be lost and were acting strangely. The caller provided a description of the vehicle the subjects were driving and while driving to the area, the trooper met the vehicle on Missouri Highway 168, east of Philadelphia. When the trooper attempted to stop the vehicle, the driver fled, resulting in a vehicle pursuit. The occupants later abandoned the vehicle in the Woodland, Missouri, area, southwest of Palmyra, Missouri, and fled on foot.
A search of the area, in an attempt to locate the suspects, was not successful. During the investigation, troopers identified one suspect as Jaron W. Richards, 19, of New London, Missouri. Richards had felony warrants for his arrest from Marion and Ralls counties for resisting arrest, and a probation warrant for resisting arrest.
Richards was observed two times by members of the public on Sunday, but he was not apprehended. In an attempt to successfully locate the suspect the Missouri State Highway Patrol sent two Twitter messages describing the subject and where he was last seen. The media outlets in the immediate area were contacted directly and provided the information. In addition, the Marion County Sheriff’s Department updated their Facebook page with the same message.
Richards made contact with an area resident who was working in his garage later on Sunday. The resident recognized Richards based on the information he had heard from a media news alert. The resident drew Richards into a conversation while another person contacted the Marion County Sheriff’s Office for assistance. At approximately 4:09 p.m., Richards was contacted at the residence and placed under arrest.
The Misssouri State Highway Patrol was assisted by the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, the Ralls County Sheriff’s Office, and the Palmyra Police Department.
