Ryan James Beckler, 24, of Fenton has been sentenced to 19 years in prison following several felony charges and a probation violation, court documents indicate.
In November 2012, Beckler stole a Jeep that an Imperial woman had left running outside Dickmann’s gas station, 2099 Old Hwy. 21, in Imperial, while she was inside buying something, the probable-cause statement said.
The woman also had left her 18-month-old daughter in the Jeep, so the child was still in the vehicle when Beckler drove off with it. At some point, Beckler stopped when he encountered a man and, after telling the man he had found the child in the middle of the road, left her with the man. Then, the child was turned over to authorities, the report said.
Later that day, a Sheriff’s Office deputy spotted Beckler driving the stolen vehicle near the intersection of Hwy. 141 and Fiedler Court in the Fenton area and tried to stop him. Beckler didn’t stop and instead got out of the Jeep and ran away. The deputy chased Beckler, who, at one point during the pursuit, tried to climb over a chain link fence and struck and kicked the deputy who was trying to stop him, the report said.
Eventually, Beckler was taken into custody, and he admitted to stealing the Jeep. He also said that after he discovered the child in the back, he dropped her off with the man, according to the report.
Beckler also was found with a metal spoon and syringes, the report said.
In January 2010, Beckler used a bat to break a basement window at a home in the 3900 block of Dutch Bottom Road in the Arnold area and then unlawfully entered it and stole a pack of cigarettes from inside, all while a woman who lived there was inside, the probable-cause statement said.
Beckler’s blood was found inside the home, next to the bat used to break the window, the report said.
He told deputies he didn’t remember breaking into the home, but said he had burglarized other homes, according to the report.
Beckler pleaded guilty to four felonies tied to the 2012 incident, including felonious restraint, stealing a motor vehicle, endangering the welfare of a child and resisting arrest, along with unlawful use of drug paraphernalia, a misdemeanor, court documents indicate.
He also pleaded guilty to first-degree burglary stemming from the 2010 incident.
In April 2103, Beckler was sentenced to 15 years for felonious restraint, to two five-year terms – one each for the stealing and endangering charges – to a four-year term for resisting arrest and to one year in jail for the paraphernalia. He also was sentenced that day to seven years for the burglary. All those terms were to be served concurrent, or at the same time, except for the four-year term which was to be served consecutive to the others, for a total of 19 years. However, he was released in October 2014 after completing a treatment program, and the sentences were suspended and he got five years’ probation, the report said.
Beckler violated his probation, though, and on Sept. 18, Jefferson County Div. 3 Circuit Judge Nathan B. Stewart executed the sentences.
Jefferson County assistant prosecuting attorney Douglas S. Pribble handled the cases.
Beckler previously was convicted of second-degree burglary and theft of a credit device, both felonies, connected to a September 2010 incident in St. Louis County, and in February 2011, he got five years’ probation, according to court papers.
In addition, he was convicted of two counts of felony stealing and one count of felony possession of a controlled substance, as well as to misdemeanor stealing, tied to an April 2010 incident in St. Louis County and was sentenced in November 2011 to three four-year prison terms for the felonies and to 120 days in jail for the misdemeanor, and in November 2011, he got four years’ probation, the report said.