Man arrested following days-long search in Osage County charged with four felonies
OSAGE COUNTY, Mo. (KMIZ)
A man who was arrested on Wednesday evening following a multi-county chase and search was charged with several felonies on Thursday.
Zachery Wheeler, of Washington, Missouri, was charged in Osage County with illegal gun possession, resisting arrest, first-degree property damage, leaving the scene of an accident and misdemeanor reckless driving. He is being held on a no-bond warrant. A court date has not been scheduled.
According to the probable cause statement, deputies from Osage, Franklin and Gasconade counties chased a 2000 Chevrolet Suburban through multiple counties on Tuesday. Deputies were able to use a tire deflation device to deflate Wheeler’s tires, the statement says.
Wheeler apparently lost control of the vehicle “at or near 1 Voss Loop within Osage County,” and hit a sign and electrical conduit from a utility pole, the probable cause statement says. Wheeler ran away and deputies found multiple guns in his vehicle, the statement says.
On Wednesday, the Osage County Sheriff’s Office took several calls about a suspicious person walking in the 3000 block of Highway 50 East, the statement says. Deputies were told that Wheeler was seen at the intersection of Highway 89 Spur and Highway 50, the statement says.
Sheriff Michael Bonham told ABC 17 News on Wednesday evening that a K-9 tracked Wheeler to a Capital Quarries work site near Highway 50. Drone teams from Callaway and Osage counties found Wheeler in the quarry and deputies eventually arrested him.
Two women who were in the vehicle with Wheeler -- Tavia Krueger and Ashley Lund -- ran into a wooded area after the crash, court documents say. Both women were found and charged with misdemeanor resisting arrest.
The search had caused the Osage County R-2 School District to close on Wednesday. The school’s athletic department held regularly scheduled practices on Wednesday afternoon and the district announced class would be in session on Thursday.
Wheeler also had a failure-to-appear warrant from Warren County that was issued on April 22. In that case, he’s charged with two counts of drug possession, illegal gun possession and unlawful use of a weapon.
