Fire battalion chief's home burglarized and trashed

A Sedalia man faces charges of burglary, stealing and possession of cocaine after allegedly burglarizing the home of Sedalia Fire Department Battalion Chief Paul Withers.

Timothy U. Young, 27, of the 1500 block of Crestview Drive, was charged June 19 with first-degree burglary, theft of more than $25,000 of property and possession of a controlled substance. Each charge is a felony.

Pettis County sheriff’s Det. Sgt. Tolbert Rowe said “a large quantity of jewelry, two firearms, savings bonds and electronics” were stolen from the Withers’ Hughesville home June 16. Through the investigation, authorities discovered Young intended to sell one of the firearms stolen from the home during the burglary.

“I made arrangements with the informant to purchase the shotgun from Timothy Young,” Rowe wrote in the probable cause statement.

After deputies recovered the firearm, Young consented to a search of his home, Rowe said. The search turned up a scanner and DVD player, along with the shotgun, at Young’s home.

Young then directed deputies to a small wooden box containing a mirror and a cut straw that had white powder residue on it. A field examination showed the items tested positive for cocaine.

Deputies did not recover a handheld radio owned by the Sedalia-Pettis County Emergency Management Agency, which also was reported stolen from the home.

Sedalia-Pettis County EMA Director Dave Clippert said the agency provided the radio to Withers because he is a storm spotter for the agency. He said the EMA originally purchased the radio for $500, but a new one would likely cost as much as $1,300.

“Through the county, we have insurance on the radio,” Clippert said.

Young was released from Pettis County Jail after posting the $50,000 cash surety bond. He is scheduled to appear in Pettis County Circuit Court on July 16.