Man tries stealing cars with women in driver’s seat

FARMINGTON — Police say a man tried to steal cars from two different women while they were still in the driver’s seat.

According to Farmington Police reports, on Halloween at about 8 p.m., Rodney Gene Holt, 33, of Farmington, hit a woman who had just got into her car in the Rhodes 101 parking lot. She told police he sat down on her lap and tried to take the car.

The woman said her male passenger grabbed the keys and pulled her out of the vehicle. They went inside and called police.

A short time later, another woman told police that she was in the McDonalds parking lot on Highway 221 when a man tried to get in her vehicle. She said he punched her in the face. She said her children got out of the vehicle and she tried to grab her things and get out of the vehicle, too. She said the man tried to keep her in the vehicle and unsuccessfully attempted to start her vehicle.

“It would not start so he got out and ran off,” the police report states.

Police reportedly later found the man, who they say showed obvious signs of intoxication, a short distance from the restaurant. He was lying on the ground. When police went to question him, he resisted and was arrested.

Holt told police he got into an argument with a girl at Rhodes and he ran off when the girl jumped back into her car.

St. Francois County Prosecuting Attorney Wendy Wexler Horn has charged Holt with two counts of attempted robbery. If convicted, he could be sentenced up to seven years in prison.

Holt also has a charge pending for misdemeanor third-degree domestic assault.

Teresa Ressel is a reporter for the Daily Journal and can be reached at 573-431-2010, ext. 179 or at tressel@dailyjournalonline.com.