Two charged in Jefferson City vehicle thefts

Two Jefferson City men have been charged in connection with two vehicle theft cases this week.

Dominic Russell, 27, is charged with two counts of second-degree burglary and two counts of stealing.

Corey Boston, 21, is charged with one count each of second-degree burglary and stealing.

Jefferson City police officers were called just before 7:30 a.m. Thursday to Town and Country Motors on Christy Drive in reference to a burglary.

Officers arrived on the scene to find the back door of the business had been forced open. One vehicle had been stolen, and the key lock box was forced open.

Officers stopped Boston and Russell later Thursday, and they were taken to the police department for an interview, according to the police department probable statement.

Russell told police he forced open the door at Town and Country and removed the keys from the lock box. He said he drove the vehicle to Dewberry Drive and parked it there.

Police officers and members of the Cole County Sheriff's Department located the vehicle in the 3900 block of Dewberry Drive.

Russell later told authorities he planned to take the vehicle to St. Louis and sell it for cash. Police said he also admitted to committing another vehicle theft on Sunday, which Boston was involved with.

In that case, the vehicle was taken from Storey Motors on Stadium Boulevard, and again, there was forced entry to get inside and get keys for the vehicle.

Video from a neighboring business showed two men entering the car dealership, with one of the males appearing to be a lookout for the other male.

A few minutes later, one of the males left on foot and the other in a vehicle. The male driving the vehicle resembled Russell, and Boston later admitted he was present when the burglary occurred, police said.

The vehicle was stopped in Foristell before it could be put in the national database as being stolen, so the officer let the vehicle go.

During their Thursday interview at the police station, Russell told authorities he went into the business to get keys to steal the vehicle after Boston kicked the door open. Russell said they were going to take the vehicle to St. Louis and pay an unknown individual $500 for it.

Boston told authorities he was on the dealer's lot at the time of the theft and admitted to riding to St. Louis in the stolen vehicle, but he wouldn't say who he was with. He denied knowledge of the break-in and said he was picked up in the stolen vehicle near Jefferson City High School.

Police said Boston has an extensive history of stealing convictions.