A man was robbed at gunpoint Thursday morning at King Hill and Lake Avenue in St. Joseph.

According to Sergeant Byrom with the St. Joseph Police Department, the victim reported the incident at 2:24 a.m., saying his vehicle and personal belongings were taken at gunpoint.

The victim described the suspect as a white male and reported the vehicle stolen as a early 2000 Ford F-150 Pickup.

No injuries were reported. Police are investigating the incident. Anyone with information is asked to call the TIPS Hotline at (816) 238-TIPS.

(Update 4:30 p.m.) According to the St. Joseph School District, Webster Learning Center has been cleared by the fire department. Evening classes will resume their normal schedule.

=================

Webster Learning Center was evacuated as a precautionary measure due to a gas smell in the building.

Around 3:15 p.m. Wednesday, numerous emergency vehicles were sent to investigate the situation.

According to St. Joseph School District Director of Communications Joey Austin, the fire department is on scene. Austin said it appears the pilot light on the stove went out.

Director of Student Services Dr. Solon Haynes said approximately 30 students and 10 staffers were still in the building at the time of evacuation. The rest of the students had already left for the day on buses. There was no injuries or fire reported.

Adult Education classes are still slated to begin at 4 p.m.

(Update 10:50 a.m.)  Emergency crews resumed searching after 7 a.m. No body had been recovered as of 10:50 a.m.

According to Captain Jeff Wilson with the St. Joseph Police Department, the Water Patrol Division of the Missouri State Highway Patrol will take over and continue the search later in the day.

*****************

(6:55 a.m.) Officials have suspended the search for safety reasons.  Sgt. Wayne Byrom of the St Joseph Police Department says the fire department will determine when it is safe so they can launch their boats and resume the search.  

******************

(4:37 a.m.) Crews are searching for a possible drowning victim in the Missouri River Wednesday morning.

Dispatch received a 911 call around 2:50 a.m. from a subject near 77 Francis saying they and one other person were swimming when one of them was caught by the current and went under the water and didn’t come back up.

According to Sergeant Byrom with the St. Joseph Police Department, the other subject got out of the water and called 911.

Fire crews have been out searching the river with no success. The search has been temporarily suspended due to weather conditions and will resume as soon as possible.

The investigation continues into a series of assaults and home invasions last week that forced the lockdown of the St. Joseph School District.

Two teenagers are in juvenile custody in the case.

Buchanan County’s Chief Juvenile Officer Linda Meyer says a 15-year-old male was charged on Monday with two counts of first-degree robbery and two counts of first-degree burglary. That child is due in court Wednesday, August 24, for a detention hearing before Judge Daniel Kellogg, who will decide whether the teenager will remain in custody.

Meyer says a 16-year-old male was arrested last week. That suspect appeared for a detention hearing on August 19 before Judge Patrick Robb, who ordered the youth be detained. A status hearing is scheduled August 31. This juvenile is charged with two counts of first-degree robbery, three counts of first-degree burglary, and three counts of second-degree assault.

Because of the nature of the crimes, Meyer says she is required by law to file a motion to allow the court to decide whether to certify the juveniles as adults. There is a list of crimes in the statute which require such a hearing, in this case first-degree robbery.

Beginning the night of Sunday, August 14 and continuing through the following morning, there were a series of assaults reported across St. Joseph. At least one man suffered gunshot wounds in one of the home invasions. Police have said they believe the incidents were related.

As we reported earlier, an adult was arrested and charged with first-degree burglary last week. (click here)

Police are still searching for Gregory Allen Hayes, identified by police as a person of interest in the incidents.  (click here)

St. Joseph police are investigating two separate carjackings which occurred early Tuesday morning and Monday evening.

According to Captain Jeff Wilson, the first incident happened around 11 p.m. Monday at 15oo St. Joseph Avenue. The female victim was airing a tire on her vehicle when two white males wearing bandanas approached, displayed a gun and took off with the victim’s vehicle.

Wilson said on Tuesday, the victim in the case was parked on the street in the 500 block of South 12th Street at about 5:15 a.m. when the suspect approached. The suspect was described as a black male wearing a blue hoodie, with short, curly hair.

He displayed a handgun and forcibly demanded that the victim leave the vehicle. The victim complied, and the suspect fled in the white, 2004 Monte Carlo.

There were no injuries reported. Captain Wilson says there have been no arrests in either case.

The City of Maysville is under a boil water order until further notice. 

According to a news release from the city, the precautionary boil order issued by the Department of Natural Resources is because of a discoloration in the water.

City Clerk Patricia Fisher Johnson said residents should boil water for at least three minutes before use.

Johnson said the order will be in effect until samples indicate levels are back to normal and contamination is no longer present.

For more information contact the City of Maysville at (816) 449-2185.

An Andrew County man was arrested after a fight with his sister over a hamburger. 

According to court documents, 42-year-old Robert Donald Williams faces felony charges for unlawful use of a weapon (while intoxicated) and resisting arrest. He also faces charges for third degree domestic assault and second degree property damage. 

According to court documents, around 6 p.m. Sunday, Investigator Grant Gillett with the Andrew County Sheriff’s Department was dispatched to a 911 call on County Road 423 in Savannah. Gillett said while on the way, he was advised a female was screaming for help and people were fighting. He requested assistance from the Savannah Police Department. 

“Officer McMillen and I arrived on scene where Helen Everett was running towards the roadway trying to wave us down,” Gillett said. “As I was exiting my patrol vehicle Everett screamed, ‘Where have you been he could have killed us.’ Everett stated that her son, Robert, who was standing in the front yard had assaulted her and her daughter.” 

Gillett said when he approached Robert Williams and asked him to come speak with him, Williams took a fighting stance. After repeated efforts to get Williams to speak with him, asking him to place his hands behind his back and warning him if he refused, he would be tased, Williams started to advance towards Gillett. Gillett deployed the taser and Williams then placed his hands behind his back and the officers were able to place him under arrest. 

According to Gillett, Williams stated he fought with his sister over her asking him about a hamburger being eaten. Williams also said he did shoot a gun and when asked if he had been drinking, admitted to having four shots of whiskey that day. 

It was later discovered that during the day, Robert and his sister, Roberta, were verbally arguing and it later turned into a physical altercation. Williams broke a wooden door and frame to get into his sister’s bedroom and held her down on the bed and was choking her. 

“At this time, Everett attempted to stop Williams by striking him in the head several times with a metal cheese grater,” Gillett said. “Everett then called 911 for help (and) Williams went into another room of the house to get a gun.” 

According to Gillett, Roberta took off running when Williams got the gun and he chased her and fired two shots. Roberta was able to outrun her brother and take safety inside the residence. A neighbor helped keep Williams away from Everett until officers arrived on scene. 

A breath sample at the Andrew County Sheriff’s Department at 7:12 p.m., showed Williams had a .130 blood alcohol level. 

Bond is set at $20,000.

A Savannah man accused of shooting his girlfriend on New Year’s Day at the Amazonia Ball Park faces additional charges including possession of a controlled substance in jail. 

As previously reported, Jay Patrick Bowman is charged with the shooting death of Stephanie Bradberry of Savannah. Bowman is charged with felonies for first-degree murder or in the alternative second-degree murder, armed criminal action, first degree domestic assault, unlawful use of a weapon, and misdemeanors for possession of marijuana and unlawful use of drug paraphernalia. 

According to court documents, the additional charges stem from an incident in February, when a search was conducted of the Work Release Pod of the Andrew County Jail. During the search, items later identified as Tramadol, a controlled substance, were found. The pills were located in Bowman’s property in the Pod. 

“After talking with Bowman and being advised of his Miranda Rights, he agreed to write a statement on the incident,” Caleb Worley, Deputy Sheriff with the Andrew County Sheriff’s Office said. “Bowman stated Inmate Reys brought in medication for Bowman’s back and he brought 17 pills. When the pills were found there was 14. Bowman stated he took three.” 

Charges have been filed for attempt to deliver or possess a controlled substance in a private or county jail and possession of a controlled substance.