Webster County, MO. – The Missouri State Highway Patrol (MSHP) released a statement reporting that 14 people were found inside a U-Haul truck during a traffic stop on Sunday, September 29, 2024.
According to MSHP Troop D, state troopers pulled over a white U-Haul box truck traveling east on I-44, one mile west of Marshfield, for a moving violation. Court documents reveal that three adults were seated in the cab of the U-Haul. One of the adults claimed they were helping someone move from Glendale, Arizona, to Buffalo, New York. However, due to inconsistencies in their stories and suspicious behavior, troopers requested to search the truck. The driver then admitted that five adults and seven children were in the back of the U-Haul.
The three adults in the cab were arrested and placed on a 24-hour hold at the Webster County Jail. Upon further investigation, officers opened the back of the truck at the jail and discovered three women and seven minors, ranging in age from 2 to 13. The passengers were found among trash, clothes, and food containers. The back of the truck lacked power or air conditioning. During questioning, the adults in the cab claimed they didn’t know why they decided to bring the children in the back but said they attempted to stop every one to two hours to allow the passengers to get some air.
Shaikiem Bristol and Musa Omar, two of the men from the front of the truck, have been charged by the Webster County Prosecutor’s Office with seven counts of first-degree endangering the welfare of a child. The Missouri State Highway Patrol clarified that there was no immigration-related element involved, and all the individuals knew or were related to each other.
