The De Soto Police Department and Illinois State Police are investigating after a Ford Fusion was stolen at gunpoint this morning, Oct. 26, from the Casey’s General Store parking lot in De Soto and a person was later found dead in the car after it crashed and caught on fire in Illinois.
According to De Soto Police, De Soto officers responded to a reported armed robbery at Casey’s, 1900 N. Main St., at 3:54 a.m. An officer arrived and saw the Ford leaving the gas station. The officer attempted to stop the vehicle, resulting in a pursuit on Hwy. 110 and northbound Hwy. 67 toward Festus but the officer lost sight of the vehicle near the Hwy. CC construction zone.
During the investigation, officers used Flock Safety cameras to learn that the vehicle was traveling through southern Missouri. Illinois State Police then reported the vehicle had crashed and was on fire in Illinois, police reported.
“A deceased individual was discovered inside the vehicle,” the press release from De Soto Police said. “The identity of the deceased has not yet been confirmed, and it is unknown whether the individual is the suspect involved in the robbery.”
Anyone with information about the incident should call the De Soto Police Department at 636-586-8891.
