Charges filed in two Cape Girardeau high-speed pursuits

Charges have been filed against multiple suspects involved in a high-speed police chase that spanned more than 20 miles and traversed the Bill Emerson Memorial Bridge twice early Tuesday morning.

The incident began after Cape Girardeau officers located a white Nissan Sentra with Georgia license plates near a business on Siemers Drive in Cape Girardeau, according to an email from Cape Girardeau police Sgt. Joey Hann.

In a probable-cause statement, patrolman Joseph Whistler stated he was conducting a patrol at 3:23 a.m. when he located and dispatched an inquiry about the vehicle, which returned as stolen.

Charles D. Dobyns

As the patrolman approached the Nissan, Whistler stated he observed two people, later identified as Charles D. Dobyns and Brandi Heffington, exit the vehicle and begin walking eastbound on Cape West Parkway.

Brandi L. Heffington

"Knowing that Dobyns is a known violent felon that carries firearms regularly," Whistler stated he drew his service weapon and began approaching Dobyns, instructing him to get on the ground, according to the probable-cause statement. Dobyns placed his hands inside his front jacket pockets and walked away from the approaching patrolman. Dobyns then re-entered the driver's seat of the vehicle by himself and began traveling eastbound on Cape West Parkway, and sped away after pointing what appeared to be a black handgun at Whistler, according to the statement.

Whistler then re-entered his vehicle to pursue the suspect as he fled from the parking lot and began driving eastbound on William Street, he stated.

Cape Girardeau police officers Andrew Simmons and Ryan Anderson later responded to the business where the pursuit began and made contact with two women who confirmed they were with the stolen vehicle and identified Dobyns as the driver.

As the additional officers responded to the business, Dobyns led officers on a more than 20-miles-long pursuit in the following order: east on Cape West Parkway, east on William Street, south on Interstate 55 reaching speeds of 125 miles per hour, east on Nash Road, north on Interstate 55, north on U.S. 61, east on Highway 74, south on Sprigg Street, west on Southern Expressway, north on U.S. 61, east on Highway 74, continuing east across the Bill Emerson Memorial Bridge onto Highway 146, south on Illinois Route 3, then north on Illinois Route 3, west on Highway 146, west on Highway 74, north on Interstate 55, east on William Street, south on Mount Auburn Road, west on a private road, then finally east on Doctors' Park, where he lost control of the vehicle and struck an embankment near the northbound lanes of Interstate 55.

No one was injured in the pursuit, according to Hann, with the exception of minor injuries to the suspect, which were caused by his own attempts to flee apprehension. Dobyns was transported to the Cape Girardeau Police Department and is being held on a $15,000 cash only bond.

A warrant was issued for the arrest of the 30-year-old driver for the class E felony of resisting a lawful detention in such a manner that created a substantial risk of serious physical injury or death by allegedly operating the stolen vehicle at speeds in excess of 125 miles per hour on Interstate 55.

"Cape Girardeau Police Officers coordinated several attempts to utilize pursuit intervention techniques and successfully divert traffic routes to minimize the suspect's ability to place other motorists in danger," Hann stated.

Heffington, the 32-year-old woman in the parking lot with Dobyns prior to the pursuit, was arrested on existing warrants through Cape Girardeau and Bollinger counties for passing bad checks.

Christina M. Jones

A warrant was also issued for the arrest of the second woman, identified as Christina M. Jones, 34, of Scott City, who admitted to being in possession of methamphetamine and claimed ownership of drug paraphernalia recovered from the trunk of the stolen vehicle after the pursuit.

Jones is charged with one class D felony count of possession of a controlled substance and was transported to the Cape Girardeau Police Department and is being held on a $15,000 cash or surety bond, Hann stated.

Saturday night chase

Timothy A. Modglin

The pursuit comes just days after charges were filed against a driver in a Saturday night police pursuit on Lexington Avenue in Cape Girardeau.

According to Hann, officers attempted to conduct a traffic stop on an adult male driver traveling with a female passenger at about 11 p.m. when the driver failed to yield to police.

The driver then led officers on a pursuit through residential areas in north Cape Girardeau, damaging residential property and ending when the driver wrecked his vehicle on Lexington Avenue near Amblewood Drive, Hann stated.

Officers conducted a search of the vehicle and found $2,833 cash in the vehicle and a duffel bag in a passenger compartment, which contained 52 grams of marijuana and a digital scale, according to a probable-cause statement written by Cape Girardeau police officer Brian McCain.

The driver in the Saturday night pursuit was identified as Timothy A. Modglin, 17, of Cape Girardeau, according to Hann.

Modglin is charged with one class C felony count of delivery of a controlled substance by possession of more than 35 grams of marijuana with intent to distribute, one class E felony count of resisting a lawful detention in such a manner that created a substantial risk to the public by operating a vehicle at speeds in excess of 80 miles per hour on Lexington Avenue, and one class D misdemeanor of unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia by possessing a digital scale and plastic baggies with intent to use to weigh, store or contain marijuana.

Modglin was transported to the Cape Girardeau County Sheriff's Department and is being held on a $20,000 cash-only bond, Hann stated.