Teen arrested on warrant involving stolen OC truck

Wasola resident Newt Souder, 19, was arrested Friday in Ozark County in connection with two warrants in Douglas County cases, including a case in which Souder is alleged to have stolen a pickup truck in Gainesville.

The warrants were issued in April and May 2020, respectively, in connection with two separate cases. In one case, Souder is charged with possession of a controlled substance and possessing a controlled substance in a county jail, and in the other case he is charged with tampering with a motor vehicle in connection with the theft of the truck belonging to an Ozark County resident. 

The probable cause statement in that case, filed by Douglas County Sheriff’s Deputy Taylor Wallace, indicates that someone called the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office at 1:26 p.m. Wednesday, March 11, 2020, to report a possible stolen vehicle at an Ava residence. 

The caller said the vehicle, a 1980s model two-tone, red-and-silver Chevrolet Scottsdale pickup, had been stolen from Gainesville resident Terry Freize. Wallace wrote in the report that he been notified by the Ozark County Sheriff’s Department of the stolen truck prior to the March 11 call , so he was familiar with the vehicle. 

Wallace went to a home on Fleetwood Street in Ava and saw a truck matching the description of the stolen vehicle parked in the front yard. When he asked a woman who lived at the residence about the truck, she reportedly said that Souder had brought it to their home two nights before. She said she had been asleep at the time, but her boyfriend was awake and spoke with Souder. 

Wallace radioed a dispatcher and provided the VIN number for the vehicle. The dispatcher responded that the VIN number matched that of a stolen vehicle registered to Donald Hendershot of Gainesville. The report says Freize had bought the truck from Hendershot but had not registered it in his name before it was stolen. 

While the officer was speaking with the woman, her boyfriend returned home; he also said that Souder had come to their home two nights before and asked to stay the night. He said Souder told him he’d bought the truck for $500, but he hadn’t said who he bought it from. 

The boyfriend reportedly said that when he awoke the next morning, Souder was gone. He gave the officer permission to look through his home and property for Souder, but the suspect was not found, the report says. 

Wallace and Douglas County Sheriff Chris DeGase processed the vehicle. The boyfriend had told Wallace that Souder had popped the hood because a belt had come off the truck engine and he was trying to fix it. Fingerprints obtained from the hood were sent to the Missouri State Highway Patrol’s crime laboratory for analysis. A can of starter fluid found inside the truck was seized as evidence. 

The vehicle was towed to an Ava body shop, and Ozark County officers were informed of the situation. 

At press time, information on Souder’s next court appearance was not yet available through online court records.

Ozark County Times

504 Third Steet
PO Box 188
Gainesville, MO 65655

Phone: (417) 679-4641
Fax: (417) 679-3423