On July 8, 2025, at approximately 6:00 a.m., the Sedalia Police Department received a report of a stolen yellow GMC box truck from the 2200 block of South Ohio Avenue. The vehicle was reported to contain an estimated $20,000 worth of construction tools and equipment.
At around 1:22 p.m., Sedalia officers on patrol located the stolen vehicle in the area of Rebar Road. When officers attempted a traffic stop, the driver fled, leading to a pursuit that continued north on U.S. Highway 65 and east on Bothwell Park Road. During the chase, the suspect vehicle sideswiped an uninvolved motorist on Bothwell Park Road, causing minor damage. Officers terminated the pursuit out of an abundance of caution.
Despite ending the active pursuit, officers from the Sedalia Police Department, Pettis County Sheriff’s Office, and Missouri State Highway Patrol continued to search the area for the stolen truck.
A short time later, law enforcement was alerted that the vehicle had been driven through a soybean field near the intersection of Highway HH and Highway EE. The truck was abandoned roughly three quarters of a mile south of the intersection, after damaging multiple rows of crops. The suspects fled the scene on foot.
Officers quickly established a perimeter spanning approximately 1,500 acres between Highway HH, Randall Road, and Gentry Road. The Pettis County Fire Department and Pettis County Ambulance District also responded to assist.
Drone units from the Sedalia Police Department and Pettis County Sheriff’s Office were deployed to aid in the search, using both thermal and traditional cameras to cover the area.
Approximately one hour into the search, an officer on Randall Road observed possible movement in a tree line north of the roadway. A Sedalia Police Department drone was dispatched to investigate and located two individuals, later identified as Christopher Miller and Charity Dixon, running east through a field. Drone operators relayed their location to officers on the ground. As the suspects approached a pond, they split up, with Miller fleeing north and Dixon south. The drone continued tracking Dixon and guided officers to her location, where she was taken into custody without incident.
Shortly afterward, Missouri State Highway Patrol Troopers located and arrested Miller behind a residence in the 27000 block of Highway HH.
Both suspects were transported to the Pettis County Jail and placed on a 24- hour hold. The following charges have been submitted to the Pettis County Prosecutor’s Office:
Christopher Miller (Sweet Springs, MO):
- Tampering with a Motor Vehicle 1st Degree
- Theft of a Motor Vehicle
- Felony Stealing
- Felony Property Damage
- Felony Resisting Arrest
- Felony Leaving the Scene of an Accident
- Charity Dixon (Sedalia, MO):
- Tampering with a Motor Vehicle 2nd Degree
Both individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. The Sedalia Police Department thanks the Pettis County Sheriff’s Office, Missouri State Highway Patrol, Pettis County Fire Department, and Pettis County Ambulance District for their assistance in this coordinated operation.
