Sedalia Police Reports For June 26, 2023

This article is compiled from the Sedalia Police Department crime reports.

Sunday night, Officers responded to an area near Scott Joplin Court to investigate a physical domestic disturbance in progress. Upon arrival, the suspect and the victim had left the area. The victim left with a friend, and the suspect fled on foot towards the wood line. Officers were able to identify and speak to the victim via phone after a witness identified her. The suspect was identified, and charges are being requested for Domestic Assault in the 2nd Degree and Property Damage in the 2nd Degree.

Sedalia Police stopped a truck in the area of East 14th Street and South Ohio Avenue early Sunday morning after it nearly collided with the patrol vehicle. The vehicle also disobeyed a stop sign and failed to signal. The driver was intoxicated. Eric Alan Fizer, 38, of Sedalia, was arrested for Driving While Intoxicated (Persistent Offender). Fizer was transported to the Pettis County Jail to be placed on a 24-hour hold.

The Sedalia Police Department’s Criminal Investigations Bureau began an investigation into possible child sex crimes occurring in the 1200 block of West 4th Street on June 7th. As part of the investigation, on June 19th, a search warrant was served at the address, and a suspect was arrested at that time. Don S. Mather Jr., 58, of Sedalia, was arrested on charges of Child Molestation in the 1st Degree, Statutory Sodomy in the 1st Degree, Incest, and Sexual Misconduct Involving a Child. All charges carried three counts each. Mather was transported to the Pettis County Jail to be placed on a 24-hour hold, with a bond amount of $100,000.

Saturday morning, Officer responded to the Phillips 66 store, 216 West Broadway Boulevard, for vehicles in the parking lot not conducting business. While there, a subject on an electric motorcycle was observed disobeying the signal light back and forth at Kentucky and Broadway. The subject was intoxicated. Travis James Harris, 43, of Sedalia, was arrested for Driving While Revoked and Driving While Intoxicated (Prior Offender). Harris was transported to the Pettis County Jail to be placed on a 24-hour hold.

Sedalia Police were dispatched to the 700 block of West Cooper Street on Sunday morning to investigate reports of gunshots being fired in the area. Arriving Officers located a vehicle with a bullet hole and a spent shell casing in the street. Several witnesses were identified, but couldn’t provide many details regarding the suspect.

Late Saturday night, Officers responded to the Phillips 66 store, 216 West Broadway Boulevard, for reports of a heavily intoxicated female trespassing at the business. Employees of the business asked the female to leave twice, but she returned each time. Officers arrested Sarita Linda Leon, 61, of Sedalia, on two counts of Trespassing in the 1st Degree. Leon was taken to the Pettis County Jail until a sober person could pick her up.

Officers conducted a traffic stop in the near the Break Time store, 808 East Broadway Boulevard early Sunday morning. The vehicle had no license plate lights. Officers identified the driver and checked his information with Dispatch, but the driver’s license did not come back on file. Luis Fernando Cardenas Rojas, 23, of California Missouri, was arrested. Rojas was transported to the Pettis County Jail to be booked and released on charges of Failure to Maintain Financial Responsibility and Operating a Motor Vehicle on the Highway Without a Valid License.

Early Sunday morning, Officers stopped a car west of Oak Grove Lane on Broadway Boulevard because it was failing to maintain its lane. The vehicle had been showing signs of impaired driving. The driver was revoked, intoxicated, and had four young children completely unrestrained in the car. Darlyn Lessoy, 30, of Parkville, was arrested on four counts of Endangering the Welfare of a Child in the 1st Degree, Driving While Intoxicated, and Driving While Revoked. Lessoy was transported to the Pettis County Jail to be placed on a 24-hour hold.

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Saturday night, Officers received multiple calls about fireworks being shot off in the area of the 700 block of East 10th Street. Officers initially issued a verbal warning, and informed the residents about city ordinances against fireworks. After leaving the area, Officers were called once again by neighbors, stating there were more fireworks being shot off. Officers returned to the address and spoke with the residents again. This time, they conducted a custodial arrest. Andrew D. Dotson, 35, of Sedalia, was arrested for Possession/Sale/Discharge of Fireworks. Dotson was given a city court summons with a court date.

Officers responded to the area of West Broadway Boulevard and South Stewart Avenue last Tuesday afternoon to investigate a hit and run accident. Contact was made with Michelle Z. Hofstetter, who had minor injury. The suspect, who was not named in the report, was quickly located. He was issued a municipal summons for no insurance and expired registration. Charges of leaving the scene of an accident have been requested.

Officers were called to the Phillips 66 store, 216 West Broadway Boulevard Sunday morning in reference to a trespassing complaint. On arrival, Officers contacted the female suspect, who was laying in the walkway next to the building. Lori Lynn Hadley, 51, of Sedalia, was arrested for Misuse of 911 and Trespassing in the 1st Degree. Hadley was transported to the Pettis County Jail to be placed on 24-hour hold.

Sunday morning, Officers responded to the 3800 block of East Broadway Boulevard for a report of a male subject with an active Failure to Appear warrant for his arrest. Contact was made with the subject, who had tickets for Animal License violations as well as a charge of Animal at Large. Quinton P. Dobnikar, 32, of Sedalia, was arrested and transported to the Petits County Jail pending a cash only bond of $178.00.

On the afternoon of June 23rd, Officers performed a traffic stop on a gray Chrysler 300 for a lane violation. The stop took place in the area of South Washington Street and East 2nd Street. A computer check through Dispatch revealed the driver to have no operator’s status. Pablo Rodriguez Ubaldo, 18, of Sedalia, was arrested for No Proof of Insurance and No Operator’s License. Ubaldo was transported to the Sedalia Police Department to be fingerprinted, and was then given citations with a court date.

Saturday evening, Officers responded to the 1400 block of South Vermont Avenue in reference to a possible trespassing. A subject was in the back yard of a residence where he did not belong. He had entered a detached garage, and was pulling weeds out of a fence line when Officers located him. Joseph Henry Hendrix, 44, of Sedalia, was arrested for Trespassing in the 1st Degree. Hendrix was transported to the Pettis County Jail to be placed on a 24-hour hold.

Friday evening, Officers were dispatched to the Police Department lobby in reference to an alleged assault. Emily Wilkes reported assault by unwanted physical contact that occurred at the McDonald’s restaurant, 3101 West Broadway Boulevard.

Sedalia Police conducted a traffic stop at the intersection of West Broadway Boulevard and Winchester Drive late Saturday night. Officers checked the driver’s information with Dispatch, and he was found to have a suspended driver’s license. Derek H. Tjaden, 33, of Wichita Kansas, was issued a citation for Driving While Suspended.

Friday evening, Officers responded to the 1100 block of East 10th Street to collect an accident report. Camina L. Showman stated her vehicle was damaged sometime the night before at an unknown location. The victim did wish to pursue charges. The suspect is unknown at this time.

Officers took a report over the phone from Branna Kaye Sparks in reference to fraud Friday evening. Sparks told Officers someone accessed her vehicle insurance account and made unauthorized changes. No suspects have been identified at this time.

Friday night, a car was stopped in the area of East 7th Street and South Washington Avenue because it had no license plate lights. During the investigation, the intoxicated passenger was found to be in possession of methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia. Jessica S. Jones, 45, of Sedalia, was arrested for Possession of a Controlled Substance and felony Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. Jones was placed on a 24 hour hold at the Pettis County Jail.

Sedalia Police investigated a physical altercation near the area of West 16th Street and South Limit Avenue. It was determined both parties resided together within the city limits of Sedalia. A physical altercation had taken place near West 16th Street and McDonald’s Avenue. A primary physical aggressor could not be determined. A 12-hour log was completed, documenting the incident.

Officers responded to the 700 block of East 9th Street Friday afternoon for a report of a motorcycle theft. Gunner A. Zaremba reported his motorcycle was stolen the day before.

Friday morning, Officers responded to the 1800 block of South New York Avenue in reference to a stolen vehicle. The vehicle had been stolen sometime overnight. No suspects have been identified at this time, nor has the vehicle been located.

On the afternoon of June 21st, Officers responded to a theft report in the lobby of the Police Department. Contact was made with the complainant, who stated an in-home care worker possibly stole $240 from her parents while providing services. The suspect was identified, and the case remains under investigation.

Thursday night, Officers were dispatched to the 700 block of South Garfield Avenue in reference to property damage. When Officers arrived, they spoke with Melissa Renee Alexander. Alexander said someone had thrown a brick through a large window in the front of her residence. No arrests have been made at this time.

Last Tuesday night, Officers conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle because it had defective license plate lights in the area of North Missouri Avenue and Martin Luther King Drive. After a check through Dispatch, it was determined the driver had a Failure to Appear warrant for their arrest on original charges of Operating a Motor Vehicle on the Highway While Suspended. Maria G. Hernandez, 28, of Sedalia was arrested and transported to the Pettis County Jail pending as cash only bond of $200.00.

Sedalia police stopped a car early Saturday morning at the Taco Bell restaurant, 820 South Limit Avenue. The car was stopped for failing to maintain its lane. The driver was arrested on an felony Illinois Failure to Appear warrant with a cash or surety bond of $25,000. Jennie Lee Schwermer, 40, of Sedalia, was taken to the Pettis County Jail, where illicit drugs were located by jail staff in her property. Schwermer was placed on a 24-hour hold pending charges of Fugitive from Justice, two counts of Possession of a Controlled Substance, and Introduction of a Controlled Substance into a Jail Facility.

Last Monday evening, Officers responded to the 1300 block of East 5th Street for a report of a disturbance. Contact was made with multiple subjects, who had all been fighting. The subjects were separated, and charges were submitted to the Pettis County Prosecutor for Domestic Assault on two male subjects, who were not named in the report.