Sedalia man facing assault, weapon charges

A Sedalia man is in jail on charges that he fired shots at a woman in a car.

Prosecuting Attorney Jeff Mittelhauser on Friday filed state charges of unlawful use of a weapon, first-degree assault and armed criminal action against Anthony L. Cason, 30, of the 900 block of West 10th Street.

Cason remained in Pettis County jail in lieu of $250,000 bond, according to jail officials.

Cason also faces a charge of third-degree assault on a law officer, after he allegedly threatened to kill Patrolman Joseph R. McCullough.

Melissa Reyburn, Cason’s ex-girlfriend, and her sister, Jennifer, went to the police station last Thursday to report that Cason “had been following them and had shot up their house.”

Cason’s motive for the shootings appeared to be that Melissa Reyburn broke up with him, according to the probable cause statement filed in Pettis County Circuit Court.

“I asked Jennifer why she thought Cason was doing this,” McCullough wrote. “She stated that Cason and her sister, Melissa, were involved in a romantic relationship. She stated that she had been trying to convince Melissa to end her relationship with Cason, which she finally did. Cason was apparently aware of this and is furious.”

Jennifer Reyburn said three shots were fired at her car while she was driving near West Third Street and South Grand Avenue. A fourth shot was fired at her car while it was at West Second Street and South Missouri Avenue.

A .22-caliber handgun was used in the shootings, officers said. A bullet hit the car’s rear driver’s side door.

McCullough stopped Cason on a warrant out of Benton County and arrested him. After Cason was arrested, police recovered a .22-caliber round near West Second Street and South Missouri Avenue and two .22-caliber rounds in the passenger floorboard of Cason’s car. Officers sent the 22.-caliber bullets to a lab to test for fingerprints. They also sent to a lab a red glove that McCullough said Cason was wearing when he was arrested. McCullough said that would be tested for gunpowder residue.

The driver of the car, Larissa N. Hartley, 18, was arrested on city charges of possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of marijuana.

Police found in her purse a bag containing seven rounds of ammunition, according to McCullough’s statement.

No weapon was found.