Missouri State Highway Patrol troopers arrested a Kansas man on Tuesday after he led law enforcement on a high-speed chase in Cooper County while his toddler was inside his vehicle.
Jonathan Myles, 36, was wanted in Topeka, Kansas for aggravated child endangerment and fleeing/eluding law enforcement, according to a probable cause statement. He faces charges of aggravated fleeing a stop, endangering the welfare of a child, exceeding a posted speed limit and endangerment of a highway worker.
At around 11:18 a.m. on Tuesday, Missouri State Highway Patrol troopers said they saw the Dodge Durango parked on the shoulder of a rest area along eastbound Interstate 70.
When troopers tried to approach the vehicle, Myles steered into the grass and fled the scene, according to the probable cause statement.
Myles led law enforcement on a high-speed chase on I-70 and was seen changing lanes excessively and following vehicles at an unsafe distance, according to court documents. Deputies said that at one point, Myles was seen driving 96 mph in a construction zone with a 55 mph speed limit.
About 17 miles into the chase, the suspect's vehicle struck spike strips and was later found smoking with two deflated tires, according to the probable cause statement. Myles exited the vehicle and was then taken into custody.
MSHP Troop F's patrol plane assisted in apprehending the man, according to a social media post from troopers.
Deputies said they found Myles' two-year-old son unrestrained in the vehicle's backseat. The child was safely returned to their mother, according to the social media post.
Myles is being held in the Cooper County Jail on a $100,000 cash-only bond.