Charges refiled after Jefferson City sex assault, chase suspect gives false identity
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
Charges against a man named Jimmy Kenda have been dropped after a man who harassed a woman at a gas station and led police on a high-speed chase in Jefferson City on Friday provided a false identity, police say.
Kenda was wrongly charged Friday with first-degree sexual abuse, aggravated fleeing a stop and first-degree harassment.
Officers say around 4:30 p.m. Friday, they learned that the suspect gave them the name and identifying information of another person to avoid arrest.
The felonies against Kenda were rescinded, and formal charges are pending against the suspect, police said Saturday morning. The suspect's name will be released after formal charges are filed.
Officers were called to the Break Time at 326 Ellis Blvd. around 2:45 a.m. on Friday, where a woman said a man repeatedly made unwanted advances that included touching her and offering to pay her for sex, according to a probable cause statement. The man followed her to the drink station and continued to touch her inappropriately, the victim told police.
The suspect's vehicle was soon found at another gas station. An officer began to question Kenda, who took off down Route C at speeds up to 100 mph in heavy rain, the statement says. Kenda crashed at the intersection of Route C and Rock Ridge Road and was arrested, police say.
