Joint investigation recovers stolen vehicles

The Audrain County Sheriff's Office posted this picture of ATVs and UTVs (plus one lawnmower) recovered during a 72-hour investigation conducted with the Callaway County Sheriff's Office.
The Audrain County Sheriff's Office posted this picture of ATVs and UTVs (plus one lawnmower) recovered during a 72-hour investigation conducted with the Callaway County Sheriff's Office.

MEXICO - An investigation by the Audrain and Callaway County Sheriff Departments this week resulted in the recovery of $35,000 in items.

An Auxvasse man was also arrested.

On Saturday, Audrain County Deputy Ryan Teague stopped a vehicle in Mexico and recognized an item inside that had been reported stolen.

"That began an investigation that would keep us busy," Audrain County Sheriff Matt Oller said late Wednesday night.

During a 72-hour investigation, the two sheriff departments worked together and recovered two UTVs, three ATVs, two motorcycles, a Dixon ZTR mower, a stolen utility trailer, a stolen Bobcat battery, and numerous other stolen tools and miscellaneous items. Four bales of hay and a bale spear were also recovered.

As of Thursday afternoon, owners of all the items had been identified. They were swiped during six burglaries and thefts reported in Audrain and Boone counties, Oller said.

Jeremy Smith, 32, was taken into custody in connection with the investigation. Authorities are seeking charges for "numerous offenses," Oller said, and more arrests could be forthcoming.

"As always, I want to thank the deputies who put the work in and the public who gave us the small pieces we needed," Oller said. "Community support is the best we can ask for, and our communities delivered."