A suspect in a carjacking in May at a Hillsboro carwash has been apprehended and charged in connection with the crime.
The Prosecuting Attorney’s Office charged William David Brown, 18, Tuesday (July 2) with first-degree robbery, a class A felony, and armed criminal action, an unclassified felony.
He was being held today (July 4) in the Jefferson County Jail on a $500,000 bond, according to court records.
Authorities were still seeking a second suspect as of Tuesday, the Jefferson County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office reported.
Hillsboro Police Chief Steve Meinberg said Brown was arrested about 9 a.m. July 1 in the 300 block of Pine Street in Hematite.
Meinberg said Brown had been staying in the house in Hematite, but he is known to have lived in the Imperial area.
“The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office contacted (Brown) and the SWAT team was involved,” Meinberg said. “It was a peaceful arrest.”
At about 12:25 a.m. May 27, Brown and another man allegedly pointed guns at a 17-year-old Hillsboro man and stole his 2008 Pontiac G6 at the Arras Carwash, 10556 Business 21. The teenager was washing his car at the self-serve carwash near the intersection of Third Street and Business 21 when it was stolen.
The Pontiac was recovered about three hours later in south St. Louis near Germania Street and Morganford Road after it was involved in an accident. Four occupants in the vehicle fled the scene, Meinberg said.
The Pontiac was totaled, he said.
According to the probable-cause statement in the case, the suspects also stole the victim’s wallet. The statement further alleges that a 2010 Chevrolet Malibu used in the carjacking and robbery had been stolen about one hour earlier from the ZX gas station, 5209 Warren Road, in Imperial.
On May 28, Festus Police arrested Brown, who allegedly was found with the Malibu and a semiautomatic handgun similar to one used in the carjacking at the Hillsboro carwash, the report said.
The Jefferson County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office announced in a written statement that Brown also had been charged with first-degree tampering with a motor vehicle, a class D felony, and second-degree property damage, a class B misdemeanor, stemming from a May 28 incident.
According to the report, the second suspect allegedly struck the victim at the Hillsboro carwash with a rifle and was the one who grabbed the victim’s wallet.
“The investigation is continuing and we’re confident there will be more arrests,” Meinberg said.
If convicted, Brown faces 10 to 30 years or life in prison for the class A felony and a minimum of three years in prison for the unclassified felony. The class D felony carries a maximum sentence of seven years in prison, and the misdemeanor is punishable by up to six month in jail and/or a fine of $1,000.