Stolen items, meth found in vehicle linked to Tecumseh-area burglaries

Jessie Cullen, 25, of Gainesville, has been charged with receiving stolen property, possession of methamphetamine and unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia following a Tecumseh burglary reported last month. 

According to a probable cause statement from Ozark County Deputy Vesa Phelan, stolen items including gas jugs and a mini-wheelbarrow compressor were spotted in plain view near a vehicle Cullen was driving. Cullen and a man, later identified as 30-year-old Brandon Sanchez, both had outstanding warrants and were arrested at the scene.

According to the probable cause statement prepared by Ozark County Deputy Vesa Phelan, on Sept. 9, he was notified of a burglary in Tecumseh. 

The caller said that his brother had visited their hunting cabin and discovered the garage door had been kicked in. According to the man, the burglary occurred sometime within the previous two weeks, and the following items were reported stolen: four red gas jugs (two marked “diesel” and two marked “gas”), a Rigid mini-wheelbarrow compressor, an orange Central Machine 8-inch bench grinder and a Pittsburgh 2-ton jack. 

Phelan reportedly assisted Ozark County Deputy Jeff Lane with a call of a suspicious vehicle on County Road 328 in Pontiac. 

“I observed a vehicle owned by Jesse Cullen, who is known to frequent County Road 328 and has been seen multiple times at the nearby Warren Ridge access, close to the burglary location. In plain view at the rear of the vehicle was a Rigid mini wheelbarrow compressor and a red gas jug marked “gas,” matching the description of items stolen from the Tecumseh cabin. 

The report says that Cullen was with a man, who is not named in the court document, but the Ozark County Sheriff’s Department identified in a Facebook post following the incident as Sanchez. Both he and Cullen had outstanding warrants and were placed under arrest. 

Cullen reportedly denied involvement in the burglary and declined to speak further. Sanchez also refused to speak in a similar manner, the report says. 

The vehicle was towed and impounded at the OCSD. A probable cause search revealed additional items reported stolen from the Tecumseh cabin including the bench grinder and jack, along with other items that officers later linked to another Tecumseh burglary. Lane also reportedly found drug paraphernalia in the passenger floorboard and center console, which tested positive for meth. 

She was released on her own recognizance with pre-trial supervision by Court Probationary Services. A non-compliance report was filed Oct. 9. 

At presstime, a case is not publicly viewable on Missouri’s online court system for Sanchez. If one is filed, the Times will include a future article.