Woodward faces felony charges

Dalton Ray Woodward, 18, of Gainesville is facing three felony charges in connection with allegations that he stole a UTV, several tools and other items from a building in Theodosia. 

Woodward was scheduled to be arraigned before Associate Circuit Judge Raymond Gross Tuesday on charges of burglary, stealing items worth at least $750 and tampering with a motor vehicle in connection with the case. 

Woodward was arrested Monday and initially held on a $15,000 cash-only bond. An update on the hearing before Gross was not available at press time.

Building burglarized and items missing

According to the probable cause statement in the case prepared by Ozark County Sheriff’s Deputy Cpl. Curtis Dobbs, the officer responded to 52 Wallace Ranch Road in Theodosia, where a building owned by Victor Plante  reportedly had been burglarized.  

Plante told the officer that sometime between 7:30 p.m. Aug. 12 and 7 a.m. Aug. 13 the glass front door to his shop building had been busted out, and someone had entered the structure and stolen several items inside. Plante reportedly said he was missing a Polaris utility vehicle, two mig welders, two boxes containing Snap On tools and other miscellaneous tools. 

Some of the missing items found

On Aug. 14, the Douglas County Sheriff’s Department reportedly contacted Dobbs and told him they had received information that Plante’s missing items were being stored in a white SUV that Woodward was driving. The DCSO said they’d heard the vehicle may have been parked at a residence off County Road 620 in Isabella. 

Dobbs went to the residence and spoke with a person at the house who reportedly told Dobbs he had bought the white Chevy SUV from Woodward the night before for $700. He took Dobbs to the vehicle and gave him permission to inspect it, the report says. 

Dobbs immediately spotted two mig welders and several tools in open view of the hatch window of the vehicle. The officer asked if he could retrieve the items inside, and the man said he would allow him to take the items. Dobbs also found a grinder, drill, 5 gallons of brazing rod, a pipe-threading tool, a tote with a corded grinder, caliper tools and a DeWalt nail gun.

Dobbs photographed the additional items and contacted Plante with the photos. He reportedly positively identified all the additional items. The items stolen were in excess of $1,000, the report says.