Jacob Leroy West, 26, of Pevely has been charged for allegedly stealing items from at least three home improvements stores and fleeing from a Herculaneum Police officer who attempted to stop a vehicle he was driving, according to court documents.
West was arrested on May 29, and as of May 30, he was being held on a $33,283 bond at the Jefferson County Jail in Hillsboro, jail records said.
The Jefferson County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office on April 4 charged West with resisting arrest by fleeing, a class E felony, and driving with a revoked license, a class D misdemeanor, for allegedly fleeing a January traffic stop. On the same day, the Prosecuting Attorney’s Office charged West with two counts of stealing, a class D felony, for alleged thefts in Arnold in January and Herculaneum in November 2024, court records said.
West also was charged for stealing, a class D felony, and attempted stealing, a class E felony, on March 25 in St. Charles County for alleged attempted thefts and a theft from Home Depot stores in February, according to court documents.
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 D misdemeanor is punishable by a fine of up to $500.
According to the probable-cause statement, West allegedly sped away from a Herculaneum Police officer on Jan. 14 when the officer attempted to stop him due to West having a suspended driver’s license. West allegedly reached a speed of 109 mph in a 45-mph zone and drove through a red light to avoid being stopped.
The attempted traffic stop occurred five days after he allegedly stole items from the Home Depot store, 3865 Vogel Road. On Jan. 9, he put seven Milwaukee-brand tools in a cart that were valued at $1,983 and left the store without paying, according to a probable-cause statement filed by Arnold Police.
West was stopped by a store employee, who took the tools back, and an officer identified West as a suspect in other area thefts based on surveillance videos and previous booking photos from 2024 and 2022, the report said.
In November 2024, West stole $1,090.62 worth of items from the Buchheit store, 200 Riverview Drive, in Herculaneum, according to the probable-cause statement.
West also attempted to steal items at Home Depot stores in Wentzville, and he stole items from a Home Depot in St. Peters on Feb. 10, according to a probable-cause statement filed by Wentzville Police in St. Charles County.
West tried to steal $2,284.45 worth of items from a Home Depot, 1920 Wentzville Parkway, in Wentzville, but he was stopped by store employees and abandoned the items, the report said.
He left the store in a vehicle that was seen about 30 minutes later at the Home Depot store, 6190 Mid Rivers Mall Drive, in St. Peters. He stole $973.85 worth of items from that store, according to the report.
West then drove to the Home Depot store, 11215 St. Charles Rock Road, in Bridgeton. At that store, employees called Bridgeton Police after recognizing West from previously reported thefts, the report said.
Bridgeton Police stopped the vehicle West was driving, but West ran away before being arrested. An officer found the items that were stolen from the St. Peters store in the vehicle, according to the report.
Investigators believe West is responsible for the theft of $6,059.26 from various Home Depot stores since the start of this year, the probable-cause statement said.