On October 23, 2024, Officer Kauffman, attempted to conduct a traffic stop on a vehicle on Highway 13 for a registration violation. The driver of the vehicle failed to yield and accelerated at a high rate of speed, passing other vehicles in both lanes and running them off the road heading northbound on Highway 13. The vehicle then turned onto Highway CC and again accelerated at a high rate of speed. The driver of the vehicle began driving all over the road and passing on hills.
The driver of the vehicle turned down a dead-end road and turned around driving towards Officer Kauffman at a high rate of speed and almost hitting Officer Kauffman head-on. Officer Kauffman turned around still pursuing the vehicle. Thankfully St. Clair Deputies were staged up and were able to deploy spike strips hitting two tires on the vehicle successfully. The driver then drove back onto Highway 13 and drove across both lanes of traffic and onto private property where they crashed into an old foundation and into logs that were stacked up.The driver then exited the vehicle and ran on foot into a field where Officer Kauffman and a St. Clair County Detective caught and apprehended the driver. St. Clair County Deputies apprehended the female passenger in the vehicle where it came to rest. The driver was identified as Timothy Wittmeyer out of Buckner, MO, and the female was identified as Cleo Ruiz Cruz out of Kansas City, MO. Methamphetamine and paraphernalia were located in the vehicle as well. Timothy also had an extraditable felony warrant out of the Kansas City Area and Cleo was on probation and parole for possession of a controlled substance.
Charges that were filed through the prosecuting attorney Daniel Dysart were:
Timothy- Felony Aggravated Fleeing A Stop OR Detention, Felony Possession Of A Controlled Substance, Felony Driving While Revoked/Suspended, citation for Possession Of Drug Paraphernalia, and Misdemeanor Speeding. NO BOND WARRANT.
Cleo- Felony Possession Of A Controlled Substance along with a citation for possession of drug paraphernalia. PENDING
Both subjects are innocent until proven guilty
