Two homeless people from Columbia each have been charged with a felony after authorities allegedly found them driving a stolen vehicle in Lafayette County on Thursday, January 31.
A probable-cause statement says Higginsville Police officers noticed suspicious activity from two individuals in a vehicle parked at a gas station near the junction of I-70 and Missouri Highway 13. The officers were informed by dispatch that the vehicle was reported as stolen out of Columbia on Wednesday, January 30.
Officers spoke with the occupants, 32-year-old Phillip Thompson and 25-year-old Casandra Edwards. Thompson reportedly told the officers they were transporting the vehicle for someone from Columbia to the Higginsville Junction for $150. Thompson reportedly could not gives details of who they were delivering the vehicle to. Officers reportedly contacted Columbia PD who stated both Thompson and Edwards have a history of criminal activity including motor vehicle theft.
Online court documents say each suspect has been charged with a Class D Felony for Tampering with a Motor Vehicle in the First Degree. Bond for each has been set at $10,000 cash or surety.
An arraignment hearing for each of the accused is pending a Lafayette County Circuit Court.