It’s not the famous outlaw resurrected from the dead, but Jesse James is sitting in a Northwest Missouri jail after an alleged two-state crime spree.
In this case, it’s Jesse James West. The 19-year-old teen and a compatriot, Kyleb Collins, 18, allegedly left Kansas with a stolen credit card and were buying up large amounts of merchandise at Wal-Mart stores in Cameron and Chillicothe. Now the two are sitting in the Livingston County Jail because neither has $50,000 to post for their bond on felony charges of forgery.
Brookfield, Chillicothe and Cameron police conducted investigations that resulted in the arrest.
Someone stole a credit card in Shawnee Mission, Kan., and the two teens allegedly showed up at the Cameron Wal-Mart store shortly after 2:45 a.m. Wednesday, said Corey Sloan, the Cameron police chief. The department believes they purchased more than $2,000 worth of merchandise in about 20 minutes, Mr. Sloan said.
The DeKalb County prosecutor’s office has filed felony charges of theft/stealing against both teens, Mr. Sloan said. If released in Livingston County, they would each have to post $35,000 bonds in DeKalb County or be confined in the regional jail at Pattonsburg, he said.
The credit card was originally stolen in Kansas a few days ago, stated Lt. Tony Kirkendoll, a spokesman for the Chillicothe Police Department. The two allegedly used a credit card in a Chillicothe Wal-Mart store to purchase more merchandise.
Police in Brookfield nabbed the pair before they could purchase anything else, Mr. Sloan said.
Associate Circuit Judge James Valbracht set the high-dollar bonds for each Thursday, during a court hearing where the defendants were officially told about the felony charges. The judge ordered the two teens to stay in the Livingston County Jail until 9 a.m. Aug. 26 unless they can post the bonds.
No information about possible charges in Kansas was available.
Marshall White can be reached
at marshall@npgco.com.