Kenneth Carl Kamer, 39, of De Soto is facing numerous felony and misdemeanor charges after he allegedly stole a vehicle at Washington State Park and then led Jefferson County deputies on a chase that started at highways 21 and 110 north of De Soto and ended inside the De Soto city limits.
The chase started at 2:45 p.m. Aug. 11, after the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office was notified that Kamer was driving a stolen white cargo van and heading north from Washington State Park. He was wanted for stealing the van, as well as an assault, authorities said.
Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Grant Bissell said a deputy spotted the van on Hwy. 21 near Hwy. 110 and turned on his lights and sirens to pull over the vehicle. Instead Kamer reportedly turned onto Hwy. 110 and then Upper Plattin Road before eventually entering the city limits.
Near Third and St. Louis streets, Kamer approached a dead-end and allegedly got out of the van and took off running. After a brief foot pursuit, officers arrested him at 2:56 p.m. without further incident, Bissell said.
He said no injuries were reported and traffic was light in the impacted areas, limiting the danger to the public.
According to the Washington County probable-cause statement in the case, Kamer reportedly got inside a Ford E-150 van owned by Washington State Park while park staff were loading items into the van. The employees yelled at Kamer to get out, but he allegedly fled in the van, crashing into a truck occupied by a park staff member and causing significant damage to the truck.
Kamer then reportedly continued driving in a reckless manner, running into retaining walls and causing employees to run to avoid being struck by the fleeing van. Kamer allegedly rammed a large, closed cyclone gate, causing damage to the van and destroying the gate, the report said.
Inside the van were two of the park’s bank deposit bags that contained $112. When Kamer was arrested, he allegedly was found with $100 from the bags, according to the report.
Kamer allegedly had stolen a different vehicle earlier that day at Washington State Park, authorities said.
According to the probable-cause statement, Kamer stole a 2000 Chevrolet Cavalier from the park early on Aug. 11, leaving the owner of the car stranded there. Later, a park ranger found the car stuck on a sandbar.
When Kamer was arrested in De Soto, he allegedly was found with eight credit cards stolen from the Cavalier, according to the report.
Kamer was charged in Washington County with second-degree assault, two counts of tampering with a motor vehicle and eight counts of stealing, all class D felonies, as well as leaving the scene of an accident and three counts of first-degree property damage, all class E felonies;
one count of armed criminal action, an unclassified felony; careless and imprudent driving, a class A misdemeanor; and stealing less than $150, a class D misdemeanor.
Each of the class D felonies carries a sentence up to seven years in prison; the class E felonies each are punishable by four years in prison; the unclassified felony is punishable by a minimum of three years in prison; the class A misdemeanor is punishable by one year in jail; and the class D misdemeanor carries a $500 fine.
The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office will seek charges against Kamer through the Jefferson County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office for felony resisting arrest by fleeing, as well as multiple traffic-related charges, Bissell said.
As of Tuesday, Aug. 15, Kamer was being held without bond at the Washington County Jail in Potosi.