St. Louis man charged in theft of school bus from Chamois

By Neal A. Johnson, UD Editor
Posted 3/23/22

A St. Louis man, Eric A. Pritchett, 32, has been charged in Osage County with first-degree tampering with a motor vehicle after being found asleep in a school bus last Wednesday, March 16.

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St. Louis man charged in theft of school bus from Chamois

Posted

A St. Louis man, Eric A. Pritchett, 32, has been charged in Osage County with first-degree tampering with a motor vehicle after being found asleep in a school bus last Wednesday, March 16.

Gasconade County deputies were notified of the theft and that it was believed the bus was located on Hwy. 50 near Morre Road in Gasconade County.

Gasconade County Sheriff Scott Eiler noted in a Facebook post that a deputy located the parked bus — still running — and saw a white male, later identified as Pritchett, asleep inside.

Osage County Deputy Andrew Furgeson in his probable cause statement noted the incident began at about 6:45 a.m. on March 16 when he was dispatched for a report of a stolen vehicle in Chamois. Bus owner Larry Zimmer told Furgeson the 2003 International had been stolen the previous evening or overnight.

Deputies woke Pritchett and ordered him to exit the bus.

Surveillance video sent by Cpt. Travis Shaffer from the scene of the crime showed Pritchett looking into the window of the bus shortly before it was stolen. 

During a search of Pritchett by a Gasconade County deputy, a white crystalline powder substance was found, which field-tested positive for the presence of methamphetamine. 

Zimmer inspected the bus for damage but did not find anything wrong, and told deputies he would like to pursue charges. Pritchett was transported to the Osage County Jail, and bond was set at $20,000.

Sheriff Eiler noted that Gasconade County will be seeking charges for possession of a controlled substance.

“I would like to thank the Gasconade County deputies for their hard work and dedication to keeping our citizens safe,” said Eiler in his post. “I would also like to thank the Osage County Sheriff’s Office for their assistance.”