A Fayette teenager is in custody in the Howard County Jail on a $20,000 cash-only bond after he allegedly led police on two high-speed chases. Levi Jordan Richerson, 18, faces charges of first-degree endangering the welfare of a child creating substantial risk, a Class D felony, resisting arrest by fleeing, a Class E felony, and two counts of operating a vehicle in a careless and imprudent manner, Class B misdemeanors.

According to a probable cause statement from Howard County Sheriff’s Deputy Scott Sellars, Richerson was observed traveling at a high rate of speed in a gold GMC Terrain SUV on Highway 5 just south of Fayette on May 10. Deputy Sellars said he clocked the vehicle traveling at 100 miles per hour (mph). He turned around his patrol vehicle in an attempt to pursue the SUV. Neither he nor two Missouri State Highway Patrol troopers and Fayette Police Chief Dave Ford were able to locate the SUV.

The following day, Sellars said he downloaded images from his patrol vehicle’s dash camera of the SUV. There was no front license plate and the driver could not be seen due to windshield glare.

On the afternoon of May 12, Deputy Sellars was patrolling in New Franklin when a call came from Central Dispatch. A complaint had been phoned in regarding a careless and imprudent driver traveling at a high rate of speed on Highway 5 between Glasgow and Fayette. The caller described the vehicle as a tan-colored SUV.

“With the still photographs I had, I knew exactly what vehicle I was looking for,” Sellars wrote.

A short time later, Sellars said he spotted the SUV entering New Franklin behind another vehicle. The SUV had neither a front nor rear license plate. As he attempted to initiate a stop, the SUV accelerated, weaving back and forth into heavy oncoming traffic on the stretch of Highway 5 in front of the New Franklin public schools. 

“School had just been dismissed and there was a large number of people on the sidewalks and in the crosswalks when the SUV began to travel erratically,” Sellars wrote. “I followed the vehicle at a slower rate of speed through the school zone, foremost looking for anyone that may have been hurt.” No injuries occurred and the pursuit continued.

The SUV sped through the four-way stop, through downtown New Franklin, and onto State Route P. Sellars said he lost sight of the vehicle, but noted gravel dust on County Road 448. Missouri Highway Patrol Corporal Zac Czerniewski later found the SUV in a wooded area at the far end of a property located at 650 County Road 451 and took Richerson into custody. A female juvenile said she was inside the SUV during the pursuit that day and identified Richerson as the driver.

According to the probable cause statement, Richerson admitted to officers on the scene and later during an interview at the Howard County Jail that he had been driving the SUV during both pursuits.  “Richerson admitted to placing all those children and parents in grave danger in an attempt to get away from law enforcement,” wrote Deputy Sellars.

Richerson was arraigned on May 15 and has secured the services of assistant public defender Robert Fleming. He was to appear before Associate Circuit 14 Judge Mason Gebhardt at 9 a.m. Tuesday morning in Howard County court for a bond hearing.