ST. LOUIS — An Illinois man is accused of fatally shooting a man who attempted to steal his vehicle at a St. Louis gas station, authorities said.
Brett M. Kress, 26, of East St. Louis, was charged on Wednesday with involuntary manslaughter and armed criminal action in connection to the death of Jesse Lopez, 24, on Jan. 7, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported.
According to a probable cause affidavit, Lopez allegedly tried to steal Kress’ Honda Pilot at a Conoco gas station in the Soulard neighborhood of St. Louis at about 2 a.m. CST, KSDK-TV reported.
Gas station surveillance video revealed that Brett Kress chased after a man and shot him after the man tried to steal his car, police said. https://t.co/cnKlCKx8He
— KSDK News (@ksdknews) January 18, 2023
According to surveillance video, Lopez attempted to flee the scene but was chased by Kress, who allegedly fired three shots and struck the man three times, according to the television station.
Lopez was pronounced dead at the scene, the Post-Dispatch reported.
Kress was later apprehended in St. Charles County on Tuesday after fleeing into Illinois, according to the newspaper.
St. Charles County officers spotted a suspicious vehicle parked in a ditch at about 4:45 a.m. CST., KMOV-TV reported. After running the license plates, officers determined that the car was the one connected to Kress.
Officers found a friend of Kress who lived nearby and helped locate him in a nearby shed. Kress surrendered after officers surrounded the shed, according to the television station.
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