Henry County Sheriffs Office: One arrest in vehicle theft

Brian Rayl

On Thursday, July 2, 2015 at approximately 8:34 p.m. Cpl. Chase Jackson an Deputy Spencer Townsend were responding to a reported domestic assault near Deepwater, when they encountered the suspect's vehicle. As they attempted to make a traffic stop on the vehicle , the driver accelerated and fled from the deputies. After a shot chase, the driver fled from the vehicle into a wooded area in the 1000 block of SW 51 Road. A search of the area for the suspect was unsuccessful. Based on evidence located in the vehicle, Karen Rayl, age 52, of Greenridge, was arrested by Deputy Sheri Dody, near the intersection of Highway 52 and Highway 13, for possession of methamphetamine and possession of drug paraphernalia.

At approximately 9:58 p.m. a 2004 Cadillac Escalade was reported stolen from a residence just east of Highway 13 on Highway Z. A short time later, the stolen vehicle was located by Clinton Police Department southbound on Highway 13 in Clinton. The driver failed to yield to the emergency vehicles that were attempting to stop the vehicle.

After Clinton Police terminated their pursuit of the stolen vehicle, the vehicle was later located on SE 400 Road in the Sparrowfoot area. Cpl. Jackson and Deputy Townsend along with Sheriff Oberkrom, and Major Robert Hills pursued the vehicle south on Highway 13 and then east on Highway Z. The stolen vehicle traveled north on SE 451 road where it was found abandoned near the Otter Creek subdivision.

A search of the area for the suspect was again unsuccessful. At approximately 8:22 a.m. on July 3, 2015 the suspect in the auto theft and domestic assault was located near the Otter Creek subdivision by a local resident. Taken into custody by Deputy Zach Sebree and Sheriff Kent Oberkrom was Brian Rayl, age 24, of Nevada, Missouri.

Assisting was the St. Clair County and Benton County Sheriff's Offices as well as the Missouri State Highway Patrol.