(Stuart) A vehicle stolen from Stuart was recovered in Des Moines.
At approximately 6:49 a.m. Tuesday, the Stuart Police Department received a report of a stolen motor vehicle from the 600 block of S. Division Street in Stuart. The vehicle was reportedly stolen while the driver was inside a business and was last seen traveling northbound from the area.
Stuart Police immediately began working with the Dallas County Sheriff’s Office, Des Moines Police Department, and Iowa State Patrol to track the vehicle’s movements using OnStar.
The vehicle was eventually located by an Iowa State Patrol trooper near 2nd Avenue and Interstate 235 in Des Moines, where it had become disabled after running out of fuel. When law enforcement attempted to make contact, the male suspect fled from the vehicle on foot.
The suspect was located a short time later in the area. The suspect was identified as Thomas Michael Yarges, of Des Moines. Yarges was found in possession of the key fob belonging to the stolen truck.
Yarges was transported to the Polk County Jail on an outstanding warrant and local charges stemming from the incident, including Operating Without Owner’s Consent, Driving While Suspended, and Providing False Identification Information.
The Stuart Police Department has also filed charges against Yarges for Theft in the First Degree, a Class C Felony, in connection with the theft of the motor vehicle.
All defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
