Moniteau County man charged with stealing, accused of taking items from ‘abandoned’ house

The Moniteau County Sheriff’s Department arrested Brian Smith after he was accused of taking items from a home.

According to the probable cause statement, deputies met with the Vaughn family in reference to a theft at their deceased mother’s residence.

Deputies said the family’s mother passed away in June and they had just gone to her house recently.

Deputies said the son recognized that a china hutch, washer, dryer, stove and tiller were missing.

Deputies said days later one family member noticed some of the items had been posted on a sale site on Facebook.

Deputies made contact with the man selling the the items, who told officers that his son Smith had gotten the things from a friend.

Deputies located the items and identified them as the ones reported stolen.

Deputies made contact with Smith, who said he got them from a friend and later admitted to taking them from the house.

Deputies told the victims to pick up the items, when doing so they also found multiple other items that were taken from their mother’s home.

Smith was arrested and told deputies he believed the house to be abandoned and the items were left for the foreclosure of the residence.

Smith was charged with burglary and stealing.