Alert:  Deputy Snags Thief

On November 23, 2020, the Lewis County Sheriff's Office received a report of theft from a farm near Napa Street in rural Ewing, Missouri.  A catalytic converter had been cut from a parked vehicle and tools had been taken as well.  A suspect vehicle was identified during the investigation.

On November 30th, Deputy Casey Cleeton was conducting an unrelated investigation in La Belle, Missouri when he observed a silver Honda Accord fitting the description of the suspect vehicle.  He conducted a traffic stop on the vehicle and made contact with the driver, Austin Andrews-Dowd.  During the course of the traffic stop, he located illegal drugs, stolen items from the previous theft and a sawzall used to cut off the catalytic converter.

Andrews-Dowd, age 24, of Quincy, Illinois, was arrested and subsequently charged with the following offenses:  one count of possession of a controlled substance, methamphetamine, a class D felony, one count of receiving stolen property and one count of tampering - 2nd degree, both class A misdemeanors.

He remains lodged in the Lewis County Jail in lieu of a $20,000 cash only bond.

The Sheriff's Office was assisted by the Missouri State Highway Patrol during the course of this investigation.

*****All subjects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.*****