Cape Girardeau County authorities discover alleged chop shop on Highway 25

EDITOR'S NOTE: The location of the garage has been corrected.

Cape Girardeau County authorities and the Missouri State Highway Patrol continued Thursday to inspect an abandoned shop on Highway 25 they say has been used to store stolen aluminum semi-trailers.

Deputies discovered the operation Wednesday after receiving information that a trailer stolen in Cape Girardeau was at the location, near the intersection of highways 77 and 25 in Dutchtown.

Inside the shop, authorities discovered pieces of scrap metal they determined belonged to several aluminum trailers, said Lt. David James of the Cape Girardeau County Sheriff's Department. They also discovered other scrap metal pieces leading them to believe the trailers may have been from out of state.

No one was at the location, so authorities obtained a search warrant to investigate the property, James said. They later determined the owner of the property was renting to another person, who authorities are still searching for, he said. James didn't have the owner's name immediately available Thursday.

"He's on the run. He doesn't want to be found right now," James said.

The FBI is assisting the two agencies in their investigation, which is ongoing, according to the sheriff's department. Authorities declined to name the suspect citing the ongoing investigation.

Pertinent address:

Highway 77 and Highway 25, Dutchtown, MO