The Jefferson County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office has charged Johnathon W. Lyles, 33, of St. Louis with multiple felonies and misdemeanors following a crime spree that allegedly included armed robbery, car theft and police chase through Jefferson and Ste. Genevieve counties.
According to court documents, Lyles was charged today, Dec. 9, with first-degree assault, a class B felony; first-degree burglary, a class B felony; first-degree tampering with a motor vehicle, a class D felony; two counts of stealing, class D felonies; two counts of resisting arrest creating a risk of injury or death, class E felonies; armed criminal action, an unclassified felony; and two counts of fourth-degree assault of special victims, class A misdemeanors.
A class B felony is punishable by five to 15 years in prison, and a class D felony carries a penalty of up to seven years in prison. A class E felony is punishable by up to four years in prison, and an unclassified felony is punishable by three to 15 years in prison. A class A misdemeanor is punishable by up to one year in a jail and a fine of up to $2,000.
As of today, Lyles was being held without bond at Jefferson Jail in Hillsboro, court records show.
Lyles was arrested on Dec. 8 after he allegedly robbed the 7-Eleven gas station, 3695 W. Outer Road, in Arnold, attempted to strike numerous Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office deputies during a pursuit on Hwy. 110 in the De Soto area, attempted to hit Ste. Genevieve County Sheriff’s Office deputies on I-55 and broke into a woman’s home south of Festus and stole her car, money and phone before crashing the stolen car into a Missouri State Highway Patrol vehicle, according to the case’s probable-cause statement.
Arnold Police at about 7:40 a.m. Dec. 8 reported an armed robbery at 7-Eleven that involved a silver Porsche Boxster, which had been reported stolen in St. Louis. On Monday, Detective Lt. Jeremy Christopher said Arnold Police is pursuing charges against Lyle for the alleged robbery, but he could not provide further information.
Later that morning, a Jefferson County deputy saw the Porsche on Hwy. 110 near Main Street north of De Soto. The deputy turned on his cruiser’s lights and siren to pursue the Porsche, but Lyles turned around on the highway and allegedly tried to hit the deputy’s cruiser as he fled on the highway, the case’s probable-cause statement said.
A deputy who was attempting to lay down stop sticks on Hwy. 110 said Lyles attempted to hit him with the Porsche, and Lyle got onto southbound I-55 fleeing Jefferson County. A Ste. Genevieve Sheriff’s Office deputy began to chase Lyles on I-55, and Lyles allegedly attempted to hit that deputy’s cruiser, the report said.
Lyles was later seen driving south on northbound I-55 and allegedly tried to strike another Ste. Genevieve Sheriff’s Office deputy’s cruiser. Lyles then was seen in surveillance video driving north in the southbound lanes on I-55 before abandoning the car south of Festus, according to the report.
Lyles ran through a wooded area to the Hawthorne Hills neighborhood in the Festus area. He allegedly attempted to get into one home in the 1200 block of Hawthorne Hills, but when he failed to get into that home, he crossed the street and got into a different house through a door in the garage, the report said.
In the home, Lyles allegedly demanded a 76-year-old woman be quiet and that he would not hurt her if she did what he said. He allegedly forced the woman to give him keys to a 2022 Toyota Camry, money and a cell phone, according to the report.
Lyles fled from Jefferson County deputies in the Camry, but he crashed into a Missouri State Highway Patrol vehicle in the subdivision and was arrested, the report said.