Missouri man arrested after Steeleville incident
<p dir="ltr"><span>A 19-year-old Missouri man was arrested for aggravated assault last Thursday after an incident at 912 E. Main St. in Steeleville regarding a Craigslist ad.</span>
<p dir="ltr"><span>According to Steeleville Police Chief Tyler Cleland, two Missouri men - suspect Christian C. Walston, of Troy, Mo., and an unnamed passenger - came to Steeleville looking to possibly purchase a truck they saw online.</span>
<p dir="ltr"><span>“I think there was some altercation, some confusion on how much the truck was going to be paid for,” Cleland said.</span>
<p dir="ltr"><span>Walston is alleged to have drawn a handgun during the resulting verbal exchange before he and his passenger left the area.</span>
<p dir="ltr"><span>“I received the call at 11:16 a.m.,” Cleland said. “Suspects were gone by the time we arrived.”</span>
<p dir="ltr"><span>The victim, whose name police are not releasing at this time, was not injured and provided responding law enforcement with a vehicle description and license plate number.</span>
<p dir="ltr"><span>Sparta police officers later pulled Walston and his passenger over in the 600 block of South St. Louis Street/Route 4 on Sparta’s south side. Cleland said the weapon, a High-Point 9mm, was recovered and the vehicle contained several different Missouri license plates.</span>
<p dir="ltr"><span>Walston was arrested without incident and his passenger, who apparently did not participate in the altercation, was released.</span>
<p dir="ltr"><span>“The driver and the passenger were very cooperative,” Cleland said.</span>
<p dir="ltr"><span>Walston was taken to Randolph County Jail, where he posted $150 cash bond and was released on Thursday afternoon.</span>
<p dir="ltr"><span>“All this goes to show you you don’t know who’s coming to your house if you’re selling something,” Cleland said.</span>
<p dir="ltr"><span>The Randolph County Sheriff’s Office and Chester Police Department also assisted in the search for the vehicle. The incident is still under investigation by the Steeleville Police Department.</span>