De Soto Police recently arrested a 44-year-old Farmington woman and a 35-year-old Fredericktown woman after at least one of them reportedly tried to pass stolen checks at a De Soto bank. The women were found in a car that had been reported stolen, and the license plates on the car belonged to a different car that also had been reported stolen, authorities reported.
A 40-year-old Festus man was arrested the same day in connection with one of the stolen cars, De Soto Police Capt. Jeff Wynn said.
He said the incident began at about 12:50 p.m. Feb. 14 when a teller at First State Community Bank, 1801 Old Boyd St., reported that two people were in a car in the bank drive-thru and were attempting to pass stolen checks.
“The teller checked in the bank’s system and found the checks were reported stolen in their own system,” Wynn said. “Officers were called to (the bank) in reference to suspects attempting to pass stolen checks. There were two women in the vehicle.”
Wynn said the plates on the red 2013 Chevrolet Cruze were for a blue 2013 Chevrolet Cruze, and both vehicles had been reported stolen earlier in the day in St. Francois County.
In addition, one of the women allegedly gave a false name to the officers, Wynn said.
He said the two women were arrested.
Wynn said officers found the blue Cruze a short time later in the parking lot of the Jefferson Square Inn, 46 Jefferson Square. The Festus man was with the blue Cruze, and he, too, was arrested.
Wynn said De Soto Police will seek charges against the three suspects for a variety of charges, including forgery, tampering with a motor vehicle, attempting to pass stolen checks and false declaration.
He said the man and the 44-year-old woman were released pending application for warrants. However, the 35-year-old woman was held at the De Soto Jail because she was wanted on outstanding warrants from St. Francois County.