A 40-year-old Dittmer man was arrested after a Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office deputy saw him driving a stolen car at a Cedar Hill gas station. The deputy tracked the man down after he drove away from the gas station, authorities reported.
The deputy at about 10:30 a.m. Jan. 27 saw the Dittmer man and another man walking toward a 2006 Toyota Scion at the Mobil on the Run gas station, 7005 Old Hwy. 30, in Cedar Hill. When the men saw the deputy’s patrol car, they appeared to try to hide their faces from the deputy by putting their jacket hoods over their heads, the report said.
The deputy did not pursue the car when it left the gas station. However, the deputy learned the Scion was reported stolen in Callaway County, and the deputy reviewed the gas station’s surveillance video and recognized the Dittmer man who was allegedly driving the stolen car, according to the report.
The deputy then drove to the area of Ridge Road and Lake Drive in Cedar Hill, where the Dittmer man was known to frequent. The deputy saw the Dittmer man driving the Scion on Lake Drive, the report said.
After seeing the deputy, the Dittmer man, who was backing up on the road, allegedly put the car into drive in an attempt to flee. However, the Dittmer man was unable to drive away due to snow and ice on the road, and the deputy arrested him, according to the report.
The other man seen getting into the car at the gas station was not located, the report said.
The Dittmer man was taken to the Jefferson County Jail in Hillsboro, where he was booked and released pending the application for a warrant, according to the report.
The Sheriff’s Office will seek a charge against the man through the Jefferson County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office for first-degree tampering with a motor vehicle and driving with a revoked license, Capt. Matt Moore said.