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WOOD RIVER – Madison County authorities have charged Wood River and Missouri residents in separate felony cases involving stolen vehicles.
Trenston A. Sappington, 24, of Wood River, was charged on Sept. 24, 2025 with a Class 2 felony count of unlawful possession of a stolen motor vehicle.
Sappington allegedly possessed a QIPAI MTR Scoot motorcycle which he reportedly knew to be stolen on Sept. 23, 2025. He was granted pretrial release from custody in the case presented by the Wood River Police Department.
A Hazelwood, Mo. man was also charged with offenses related to motor vehicles in an unrelated case. 18-year-old John E. Lewis faces a Class 2 felony for allegedly possessing a 2020 Hyundai Elantra bearing an Illinois registration number on Sept. 10, 2025.
In addition to knowing the vehicle had been stolen, Lewis was additionally accused of attempting to flee police by knowingly failing to stop the vehicle he was driving after being given an audible or visual signal by police to do so, reportedly fleeing at more than 21 miles per hour above the legal speed limit.
A petition to deny Lewis’s pretrial release from custody was filed by the Madison County State’s Attorney’s Office. The petition states that during his attempt to flee from Granite City police officers, Lewis reportedly made a U-turn and drove towards officers, nearly struck an unmarked police vehicle, and ignored multiple stop signs while fleeing at approximately 70 mph in a 30 mph speed zone.
After crossing a set of railroad tracks, “smoke and pieces of shredded tire” were seen coming from the vehicle Lewis was driving before he crashed into a parked van. Lewis then exited the vehicle and attempted to flee on foot, but was taken into custody after a brief foot pursuit.
The Metro East Auto Theft Task Force presented the case against Lewis, who currently remains in custody at the Madison County Jail.
All individuals charged are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
