Two people were arrested for prostitution after fleeing police at a truck stop in Missouri earlier this month.
The incident occurred on Thursday, December 4th at approximately 11:12 p.m. in Ste. Genevieve County, Missouri.
According to police, Ste. Genevieve County Sheriff’s deputy responded to a call reporting the suspected prostitute in the rear semi truck parking lot of a Love’s Truck Stop. There, he noticed a pickup truck with Alabama plates parked in the rear lot with no lights on. As the deputy approached the pickup on foot, the driver, 52-year-old Steven Madden, drove slowly towards the officer before picking up speed and driving off.
The officer then pursued Madden in his police cruiser, following him down Enterprise Road and onto Route Y at speeds reaching 70 mph, until Madden finally pulled to a stop at the intersection of Route Y and LaSanta Lane, where he jumped out of the car and ran. The deputy then pursued Madden on foot and eventually apprehended him, placing him in double locked handcuffs.
Once in custody of the officer, Madden said that he had been waiting outside the truck stop for a woman named “Ashley” who had gone to eat inside the Love’s Travel Stop.
The officer called for backup, and a road block was formed at the exits and entrances of the truck stop while officers questioned truckers in search of the woman. After approximately an hour, the woman, 34-year-old Stephanie Haper, was discovered inside a Freightliner semi truck, and claimed she was with Madden.
The unidentified truck driver who was discovered inside the cab with Haper said he had paid her $32 to perform a sexual act. He was later released at the scene because of his cooperation with police. The police department noted in their records that they may apply for a warrant against the man at a later time, reported the Daily Journal Online.
Both Madden and Haper were then taken to the Ste. Genevieve County Jail, where Haper admitted that she was paid for a sexual act after knocking on the truck driver’s cab and offering her services. Madden refused to speak about his reasons for being parked in the truck stop parking lot.
It was later discovered that Madden’s pickup had been stolen from Mississippi, and that he already had a no-bond warrant through the US Marshal for probation violation of escape.
Madden is currently being held on $50,000 bond for promoting prostitution, resisting arrest, and tampering with a motor vehicle, as well as his no-bond warrant from the US Marshal. Haper was released after 24 hours and was served with a criminal summons. She failed to appear and is now wanted on a warrant for $500 cash only bond.
