Two suspects charged in Sutherlands theft

Craig S. Steele, right, and Allen L. McCarthy

Nodaway County Prosecuting Attorney Robert Rice filed felony charges over the weekend against two men who now stand accused of felony stealing and robbery charges.

In addition, one of the men, Craig S. Steele, 33, St. Joseph, faces a felony charge of possessing a controlled substance believed to be heroin.

The other suspect taken into custody was identified as Allen L. McCarthy, 28, also of St. Joseph.

The incident began around 1:30 p.m. Saturday when Maryville Public Safety officers were summoned to Sutherlands, a large lumberyard and hardware store in the 1700 block of South Main Street.

According to a probable cause statement filed with the court by MPS Officer Adam James, police at the scene were told the suspects allegedly stole power tools from the store and became involved in an altercation with a female employee, who suffered injuries, before driving away.

A Sutherlands employee had taken a photograph of the suspects’ car, a silver Toyota, in which the vehicle’s license plate number was visible. James, who believed the suspects were heading back to St. Joseph, began a vehicle pursuit after learning no other law enforcement units were immediately available south of Maryville.

James, “traveling rapidly,” according to the report, intercepted the suspect’s car on Highway 71 near Route A in Andrew County and was soon joined in his pursuit by a Missouri State Highway Patrol Cpl. D.E. Sigman.

Once the patrol vehicle arrived, James allowed Sigman to take the lead in the pursuit. The trooper activated his emergency lights, and the suspects pulled over on the Route T off-ramp just west of Savannah.

James reported that the driver of the suspects’ vehicle, Steele, was wearing a torn white T-shirt and had fresh scratch marks on his face “consistent” with the struggle reported by Sutherlands employees.

The officer further stated that once the suspects were detained a number of power tools were in “plain view” inside the car, including two DeWalt drills, a Milwaukee drill and a DeWalt reciprocating saw.

James said he also observed a hypodermic needle protruding from a backpack in the car’s rear seat.

Other articles found in the vehicle during a subsequent permitted search were an adjustable wrench allegedly stolen from the Maryville Sears store along with additional apparent drugs and paraphernalia, including white powder, a liquid, scales, plastic baggies, hypodermic syringes and a spoon tarnished with a burned, tar-like substance.

Steele has been charged with Class B felony robbery in the second degree and an alternative count of Class D felony stealing. He also faces a Class D felony charge of possession of a controlled substance.

McCarthy faces charges of Class B robbery in the second degree and an alternative count of Class D stealing.

In Missouri, conviction on a Class B felony can result in a prison term of between five and 15 years. A Class D felony conviction can result in a prison term of up to seven years.

Both Steele and McCarthy were being held at the Nodaway County jail Monday pending the setting of bond.