Crime & Safety

Missouri Man Arrested in Woodbury Charged With Theft, Drugs, Damaging Police Car

If convicted, Dillon Russell Higginbotham faces up to 11 years in prison and a $23,000 fine.

A Missouri man was arrested in Woodbury on Dec. 5 after staff at the at 9840 Norma Lane reported seeing him breaking into vehicles. 

What began as a charge of gross misdemeanor theft turned into felony possession of a controlled substance and felony first-degree damage to property for 19-year-old Dillon Russell Higginbotham. 

According to a criminal complaint:  

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Maintenance personnel from the Holiday Inn Express called 911 after catching Higginbotham in the act of stealing from the maintenance vehicle.

Higginbotham reportedly fled the scene, but Woodbury police were able to follow his footsteps in the snow to a nearby dumpster. 

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After arresting Higginbotham, police found in his possession eight blank checks, an orange iPod, an iPod cord, a red jump drive, a GPS device and a room key for room #205 at the Holiday Inn Express.  

The maintenance staff member identified the iPod, iPod cord and USB drive as items missing from his truck. 

The Holiday Inn Express maintenance staff also reported a television had been removed from the fitness room of the motel and was found in a plastic garbage bag outside of the fitness room.

While reading Higginbotham his Miranda rights, police were approached by several individuals who also reported their vehicles had been broken into and items had been stolen. 

Additional items reported stolen include:

  • GPS units from two vehicles
  • A packet of handkerchiefs
  • An I-Pass transit pass
  • A Clarks shoebox
  • A crystal vase

All of the items were found in a plastic bag behind the dumpster where Higginbotham had been hiding.

Police also found 31 two-milligram pills of Alprazolam—a Schedule IV controlled substance—inside a personal hygiene bag Higginbotham admitted was his.

When police returned to the squad car in which Higginbotham was placed, they realized he had done considerable damage to the inside of the vehicle.

Higginbotham allegedly damaged the plastic running boards, which exposed internal wiring, and broke one of the cables in half. He also pulled on the wiring, causing the running board molding in the front seat to dislodge and damage the components under the passenger side dashboard. 

The damage to the wiring caused the squad car radio to stop working and the onboard computer system and audio/visual system to malfunction.

Police estimated the cost of repair to be more than $1,000. 

If convicted of the crimes against him, Higginbotham faces up to 11 years in prison and a $23,000 fine. 


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