Two brothers from Dittmer face charges for stealing vehicles and fleeing from law enforcement agencies throughout southern Jefferson County. One of the brothers also faces felony stealing charges tied to items stolen from vehicles, according to court records.
Combined, Nicholas Jay and Gregrey Allen Taylor were charged with 11 felonies after being linked to eight incidents that occurred in the Dittmer, Festus, Crystal City and De Soto areas, court records show.
Nicholas Tyler, 22, has been charged with five counts of first-degree tampering and two counts of felony stealing, all class D felonies; one count of resisting arrest, a class E felony; and one count of resisting arrest, a class A misdemeanor. He was being held in the Jefferson County Jail on three $75,000 cash-only bonds, a $20,000 cash-only bond and a $30,000 surety bond, according to court documents.
Gregrey Tyler, 23, has been charged with two counts of first-degree tampering, class D felonies; and one count of resisting arrest, a class E felony. He was being held in the Jefferson County Jail without bond for one of the tampering charges and the resisting arrest charge and on a $25,000 cash-only bond for the other tampering charge, court documents said.
A class D felony is punishable by up to seven years in prison, and a class E felony carries a penalty of up to four years in prison. A class A misdemeanor is punishable by up to a year in jail and a fine of up to $2,000.
Nicholas Tyler’s charges stem from five incidents that occurred between Dec. 20 and Dec. 28 in the Dittmer, De Soto and Festus areas.
On Dec. 20, a Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office deputy went to the brothers’ home on Portland Lane in Dittmer because a gray 2016 Kia Optima that had been reported stolen in Festus had been seen near the house. The deputy allegedly saw Nicholas Tyler in the car, which was stopped with the engine running, a probable-cause statement in the case said.
When the deputy turned on his cruiser’s emergency equipment, Tyler allegedly sped away, and the deputy did not pursue him because at the time he wasn’t certain the car was the one that had been reported stolen. However, the deputy contacted another one of the Tyler brothers, and he allegedly said that Nicholas Tyler often parked stolen cars in a wooded-area near the home so family members do not ask him where he obtained the vehicles, the report said.
On Dec. 22, Nicholas Tyler allegedly stole a 2010 Toyota Corolla from a home on Whispering Pines Road west of De Soto. A .380-caliber Ruger pistol was inside the car, and the gun reportedly was found in the home on Portland Lane during an investigation on Dec. 28, according to the report.
On Dec. 24, Nicholas Tyler reportedly stole a 2008 Mitsubishi Galant from a home in the 1300 block of Berry Dairy Road southeast of De Soto. He allegedly told investigators he took the car because he was stranded in the area and the keys were inside it, the probable-cause statement said.
On Dec. 17, a Sheriff’s Office deputy spotted a red 2013 Chevrolet Silverado that had been reported stolen in the 8000 block of Ridge Road in Dittmer. The deputy allegedly saw Nicholas Tyler driving the pickup aggressively, passing other vehicles in the opposite lane on Ridge Road, and the officer was unable to stop the pickup, the report said.
On Dec. 28, Nicholas Tyler reportedly stole a 2016 Dodge Grand Caravan from a home in the 12000 block of Dry Creek Road west of De Soto. He allegedly drove the van to his home on Portland Lane and removed $14,332.87 worth of tools from the minivan, the probable-cause statement said.
A deputy reportedly found the van near the Portland Lane home, and Nicholas Tyler allegedly admitted to stealing the minivan and the tools, the report said.
Gregrey Tyler’s charges stem from incidents that occurred on Dec. 20 in Festus and Dec. 26 in Crystal City and southeast of Dittmer.
On Dec. 20, Gregrey Tyler was arrested after he was stopped in a 1999 Buick LaSabre that had been reported stolen from Gray Street in Festus. Then, on Dec. 26, Gregrey Tyler reportedly stole a 2016 Yamaha YXZ utility vehicle from Surdyke Motorsports, 1305 Hwy. 61, in Crystal City. He allegedly entered a fenced-in area of the business through a hole in the fence and took the UTV, which was at the business for repairs, the probable-cause statement said.
Later that day, a deputy reportedly saw Tyler driving the UTV on Hwy. B near Hwy. EE southeast of Dittmer, and when the deputy tried to stop him, he allegedly sped away and was not pursued. After he was arrested, Tyler admitted to taking the UTV and fleeing from police, authorities reported.
At the time, Tyler was on probation for an incident in November 2020, when he was arrested with Jesse Bell, 40, of Dittmer for stealing a tractor and fleeing from deputies. The two had used a stolen 1992 Chevrolet 3500 to steal a Ford tractor they loaded onto a trailer in the 8700 block of Canyon Lane in Dittmer, the probable-cause statement said.
When a deputy responded to a call about the attempted robbery, the two got into the pickup, and Gregrey Tyler fired three shots at a patrol vehicle during a pursuit that lasted several miles on gravel and unlit roads before the pickup drove over spike strips and eventually stopped in the 1100 block of Click Road in Washington County. No one was struck by the shots. However, during the pursuit, the pickup turned onto Hwy. WW from Canyon Lane in Dittmer, and a 2002 Nissan Xterra turned onto the road as the deputy approached the intersection, and the patrol car was unable to avoid the Xterra and ran into it, the Sheriff’s Office reported.
No injuries were reported for the deputy involved in the collision, but the driver and passenger in the Xterra were taken to Mercy Hospital South in south St. Louis County with minor injuries. They were both treated and released, a hospital spokesman said after the accident.
After pleading guilty to his involvement in the November 2020 incident, Gregrey Tyler was sentenced to four years for stealing, four years for tampering with a motor vehicle and four years for resisting arrest. The sentences were suspended, and he was put on five years’ probation, court records show.
Bell also pleaded guilty to charges stemming from the incident and was sentenced to seven years in prison for resisting arrest, 10 years for stealing, 10 years for tampering and 10 years for possession of a controlled substance. He is serving the sentences concurrently, or at the same time, and was ordered to take part in a long-term treatment program, court records said.