GAINESVILLE, Mo. (KY3) – A Texas man is in custody following a multi-state investigation into an attempted ATM theft at Stockmens Bank in Gainesville, the Ozark County Sheriff’s Office said.
Jaivon Smith was taken into custody without incident in Highlands, Texas, following an investigation led by Ozark County Sheriff Cass Martin. Smith is currently being held in the Harris County Jail awaiting extradition to Missouri.
The investigation began after someone attempted to steal an ATM from the bank. About a week after the initial investigation, the sheriff’s office received an anonymous tip identifying Smith as the suspect.
How the arrest came together
“We started digging deeper and found out, hey, our suspect is not only from Texas, but he’s actually from Houston, Texas,” Martin said. “We know where he’s at. We know who he is. We know where we need to go.”
Martin traveled to Houston on July 13 after coordinating with the Texas Department of Public Safety. With assistance from Texas law enforcement, Smith was taken into custody.
Martin credited Cpl. Darian Norman of the Texas Department of Public Safety for his role in the investigation.
“Corporal Darian Norman, I mean, it was pretty neat,” Martin said. “He helped us out with the investigation. He helped us out with some things, and it was definitely a pleasure to work with those guys.”
What’s next
Martin said his office is working to extradite Smith from Texas to face charges in Missouri. He also said media coverage of the case played a role in generating the tip that broke the investigation open.
“I think, you know, after our last interview and along with the Highway Patrol, with them pushing out the information, this did make a huge impact in this investigation,” Martin said. “To be able to get that information out, it helped with locating our suspect. It definitely got the word out.”
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