Four arrested, three on the loose in connection with southwest Illinois car thefts
Four have been arrested and three remain at large in connection with a rash of stolen vehicles in the metro-east.
Among those in custody are a homeless man and woman from St. Louis who were arrested last week after leading Dupo, St. Louis and Alorton police on a bi-state chase.
Eric J. Atherton, 34, and Carol A. Volkert, 28 each were charged with burglary, unlawful possession of a stolen vehicle and obstructing a peace officer. Atherton also was charged with aggravated fleeing and eluding.
Bond for Atherton was set at $100,000. Volkert’s bond was set at $75,000
The Metro East Auto Theft Task Force stepped in to assist after two vehicles, some guns and other stolen items were taken from from a repair shop in the 1000 block of Imbs Station Road in Dupo.
“In the burglary, a stolen jeep from Missouri was left at the scene. Two vehicles along with guns and other items were taken from the repair shop and two more vehicles were from the nearby area,” said Matt Jany, task force director.
St. Louis Police helped identify Atherton and Volkert after one of the stolen vehicles was recovered in North St. Louis County. St. Louis police attempted to arrests the two on September 10, Jany said.
“The suspects fled in a (Ford) F-150 (pickup truck) and attempted to strike a St. Louis Metropolitan Police detective with the vehicle,” he said. “St. Louis police pursued the suspects. They crossed the Jefferson Barracks Bridge into Illinois.”
An Alorton Police officer then attempted to stop the vehicle, but the suspects continued west on Illinois 15. The driver lost control of the truck and landed in a ditch. Atherton and Volkert fled on foot into a swampy area north of Illinois Route 15, Jany said.
Both were captured a short time later.
“Officers from Alorton, the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the Metro East Auto Theft Task Force set up a perimeter and searched the area,” he said.
In a separate case, a 16- year old was charged with criminal trespass to a motor vehicle by the St. Clair County Juvenile States Attorney’s Division.
Jany said on Sept. 9 at 11 a.m., Alorton police officers found a stolen 2012 Ford Focus in the Greystone Housing Complex. The vehicle had been reported stolen from the 1300 block of Camp Jackson Road in Cahokia earlier in the morning.
An Alorton police officer pursued the juveniles east on Bond Avenue at Old St. Louis Road.
Four subjects fed on foot into a wooded area. An Alorton officer was able to take one juvenile passenger into custody, but three others have yet to be located, Jany said.
In a separate case, Joshua S. Norbury, 30, of Collinsville, was charged with aggravated battery and unlawful possession of a stolen vehicle.
Jany said Swansea Police were called to the Moto Mart located at 1324 North Illinois St. for a report of a stolen vehicle in progress. The owner of an F-150 saw someone trying to drive away with his truck and he attempted to stop him. The owner was dragged through the parking lot until the truck came to a stop.
Others were able to detain the Norbury until Swansea police arrived, Jany said.
The case against Norbury was jointly investigated by the Metro East Auto Theft Task Force and the Swansea Police Department, Jany said.
This story was originally published September 14, 2020 at 3:18 PM.
