Galena man sentenced for tampering, resisting arrest
Elijah Raczak
On February 16, 2020, Reeds Spring Police officer Kyle Colman stopped a vehicle for speeding on Highway 13. The officer made contact with the driver, who was identified as Elijah Raczak, 27, of Galena. As Colman walked back to his patrol vehicle to check Raczak's information for warrants and see if the vehicle's registration was current,
Raczak fled in his vehicle at a high rate of speed. A pursuit began in which the officer reported that Raczak traveled at speeds nearing 100 miles per hour and passed other vehicles where it was dangerous to do so. The car turned onto West Hwy. 176, where the officer eventually lost sight of it. A few minutes later, he found the crashed vehicle on Abesville Circle. Raczak had fled on foot. The officer determined that Raczak was not the vehicle owner and, upon making contact with the owner, also determined that the driver did not have permission to operate the vehicle.
Stone County Prosecutor Matt Selby filed felony charges of tampering with a motor vehicle by operating it without the owner's consent and for resisting arrest. Raczak was eventually caught and, after several delays due to COVID and the defendant failing to appear, he pled guilty to those charges in December of 2021. On February 8, 2022, 39th Circuit Judge David Cole sentenced the defendant to four years in the Missouri Department of Corrections.
Selby said, "Although the defendant was young and did not have a significant criminal history, in these situations where a person endangers others by fleeing from officers in a vehicle, we are going to continue to pursue prison sentences." The prosecutor did say that the defendant will have an opportunity to be released on probation after 120 days if he does not have any conduct violations while in prison. Assistant prosecutor John Taylor handled the case.
Raczak fled in his vehicle at a high rate of speed. A pursuit began in which the officer reported that Raczak traveled at speeds nearing 100 miles per hour and passed other vehicles where it was dangerous to do so. The car turned onto West Hwy. 176, where the officer eventually lost sight of it. A few minutes later, he found the crashed vehicle on Abesville Circle. Raczak had fled on foot. The officer determined that Raczak was not the vehicle owner and, upon making contact with the owner, also determined that the driver did not have permission to operate the vehicle.
Stone County Prosecutor Matt Selby filed felony charges of tampering with a motor vehicle by operating it without the owner's consent and for resisting arrest. Raczak was eventually caught and, after several delays due to COVID and the defendant failing to appear, he pled guilty to those charges in December of 2021. On February 8, 2022, 39th Circuit Judge David Cole sentenced the defendant to four years in the Missouri Department of Corrections.
Selby said, "Although the defendant was young and did not have a significant criminal history, in these situations where a person endangers others by fleeing from officers in a vehicle, we are going to continue to pursue prison sentences." The prosecutor did say that the defendant will have an opportunity to be released on probation after 120 days if he does not have any conduct violations while in prison. Assistant prosecutor John Taylor handled the case.