ST. LOUIS, MO — Three men are facing grand theft auto-related charges after St. Louis police say they were found with a stolen vehicle on a tow truck flatbed. The arrests came after detectives used a bait car and tracked its movement to the suspects’ tow truck.
Police say the case may be linked to a larger pattern of disabled and parked vehicles being stolen in north St. Louis. Investigators are now looking at whether the three men were part of a wider operation and whether other victims have not yet been identified.
Charges filed against three men in the tow truck case
The St. Louis Circuit Attorney’s Office filed charges against Daron Oscar, 37; Charles Currie, 38; and Lamonte Brown, 42. Oscar was charged with stealing a motor vehicle and second-degree tampering with a motor vehicle.
Currie was charged with stealing a motor vehicle and first-degree tampering with a motor vehicle. Brown was charged with stealing a motor vehicle and second-degree tampering with a motor vehicle. Police have not said in the charging announcement what each man’s role was in the thefts beyond their arrests tied to the tow truck.
Police say the thefts began to rise in July
Matthew Karnowski, a District 6 captain with the Saint Louis Metropolitan Police Department, said officers began seeing a major increase in this kind of theft in July. He said police believe as many as 20 cars may have been stolen in the north patrol division using the same method.
Karnowski said none of the vehicles have been recovered. He added that investigators believe the cars may have been taken to scrapyards to be shredded or crushed, which makes recovery difficult and increases the urgency for detectives trying to identify the people behind the thefts.
How detectives used a bait car to draw in the tow truck
Detectives placed a bait vehicle to see whether thieves would target it the same way they had targeted other disabled or parked cars. Police said officers later received notice that the tracking device inside the bait car was moving.
Officers, detectives and ATF Special Agents with Operation Show-Me Justice then converged on the area. They found the bait vehicle on the tow truck and stopped the vehicle before arresting the three men who were inside. Police said the bait car operation helped them interrupt the alleged theft in progress.
Police are also working with scrapyards on ownership checks
Along with the enforcement operation, SLMPD is trying to reduce the chance that stolen cars can be quickly sold or destroyed. Karnowski said officers are working with scrapyards and educating them on how to properly accept vehicles when ownership is unclear.
He described that effort as an educational component of the investigation. Police appear to be focusing not only on the suspects but also on the places where stolen vehicles may end up if they are not recovered soon after the theft.
Detectives believe more people may be involved
Investigators are still examining whether the three men had ties to other stolen vehicles reported in the city. Karnowski said he believes additional people could be connected to the theft spree, which suggests the case may continue to develop as detectives compare reports and evidence.
Anyone who thinks they may have been a victim of this theft pattern, or anyone with information about the case, is asked to call the North Patrol Division at 314-444-0001. Police are using that tip line to help determine whether the arrests solve only one incident or a broader series of thefts.
