Tavione Simmons and a juvenile were busted breaking into Best Buy at 9130 Skyview Road on June 7 in Kansas City North.

Simmons, 18, of Missouri City, Texas, is facing a felony burglary and felony stealing charge from the incident. He is currently in custody at the Platte County Detention Center being held without bond. Simmons pleaded not guilty to the accusation and was slated to return to court on June 25 – our print deadline so what happened in that setting wasn’t known by press time.

The Kansas City Police Department responded to an intrusion alarm at 8500 N. Flintlock Road in Clay County at 2 a.m. on June 7. Due to a pattern of burglaries in the area, a KCPD officer checked the location at 9130 Skyview Road.

While checking the perimeter, a dark SUV approached the front door and two occupants exited the vehicle and made entry into the business.

The officer at the store called for backup and when the suspects exited the store with stolen merchandise they were ordered to the ground. The suspects fled, dropping the stolen merchandise.

A brief foot chase occurred and with the help of a K-9 from the Platte County Sheriff’s Department, both suspects were taken into custody.

The total value of the stolen merchandise was $14,700 and released back to the store.

Simmons had an Apple iPhone 10 in his front, right pants pocket but said the phone — which had a security cord mount still attached — wasn’t his.

He declined to make any comments and asked for his lawyer based in Houston, Texas. He provided a home address of Fort Bend, Texas instead of Missouri City, Texas.

Court documents show he has convictions for thefts, aggravated robbery and stealing a vehicle in Houston. Further investigation found a tie between a pattern of burglaries from Baton Rogue, La., to Houston. Simmons and the same juvenile were arrested on May 24 for a burglary at Best Buy in Lake Jackson, Texas.

ALSO IN THE COURTS

LEE STILL IN CUSTODY

George Christopher Lee and his public defender keep trying to get the Kansas City, Kan., resident out of custody in Platte County.

Between April and June, there have been five different requests for Lee to leave custody on a felony fleeing charge. His bond went down but he still is an inmate at the Platte County Detention Center.

Lee is accused of driving more than 110 miles per hour on Interstate 29, weaving in and out of traffic, in April.

He had a $10,000 cash/surety bond set on April 11 — a day after the pursuit that started in St. Joseph and ended in Riverside. He pleaded not guilty on April 12 and on April 16, Lee requested to be released on his own recognizance and it was denied.

On April 30, a request was made for a bond reduction and it was denied. On May 14, another bond reduction request was made and this time agreed to be lowered to $5,000 cash/surety despite objections from the state. A week later, another bond reduction hearing was held and it was lowered to $3,000 and again was against the wishes of the state.

On June 4, another ROR bond request was made but it was denied.

Platte County deputies were notified of a black Hyundai with a flat tire and broken passenger window speeding down I-29, fleeing the scene after striking a vehicle and evading the police in St. Joseph. A St. Joseph officer was injured in the pursuit.

The vehicle was seen at Tiffany Springs Parkway and I-29 and a pursuit ranged from 85 to 115 miles per hour in the southbound lanes. Lee merged onto Interstate 635 and swerved around a Riverside Police Department officer near High Drive.

While doing that, Lee struck a southbound vehicle injuring two other people.

Lee then fled the scene north of I-635, running through a wooded area.

A Platte County Sheriff’s Office deputy was injured in the pursuit.

A Riverside K9 tracked Lee and found him in a storage shed.

Lee, 38, was transported to St. Luke’s Hospital with injuries on his hand and arm from the K9.

In talking to officers, Lee admitted he and his wife stole shorts and socks from the Walmart on South Belt Highway and an officer broke out his window as they were pursuing him.

Court documents show that Lee told an officer he had no memory of leaving St. Joseph and recalls officers following him in Platte County. He stated he ran because he had a warrant and didn’t want to go to jail.

He did recall striking a vehicle in Riverside but didn’t know if anyone was hurt and stated he drove over 80 miles per hour in the pursuit.

DELIZ SENTENCED

A Kentucky man is out of jail, given time for credit served, for a felony charge of possession of a controlled substance.

Michael P. Deliz, 42, got an amended charge after being charged with delivery of a controlled substance in 2018.

As part of the deal, Deliz was sentenced to 252 days in jail and given credit for time served.

Deliz was arrested on Aug. 17 last year after a pursuit ended with Platte County Sheriff’s Office deputies recovering 204 pounds of marijuana in a 2008 Ford E350 van.

The street value of the drugs was $922,000, according a press release at the time.

Deliz and Destiny Browning, also of Louisville, were taken into custody.

She is facing charges of delivery of a controlled substance, failing to yield to an emergency vehicle and speeding. She had a capias warrant issued on March 22 for not showing up for a court date and last month the case was canceled after neither Browning nor her attorney Jarrett Johnson showed up for an appearance.

PENCE CHARGED WITH THIRD DWI INCIDENT

A Kansas City man with a blood alcohol content more than double the legal limit is facing a felony driving while intoxicated-persistent offender allegation.

Justin Carl Pence, 33, was taken into custody on June 8 following a pursuit that started on Interstate 29, near mile marker 11.8 in the northbound lane.

Pence, driving a white Dodge Durango, exited on NW Cookingham Drive and continued driving. The vehicle left the roadway several times on NW 128th and then North Winan Road from NW 128th St., but coming to a stop at a dead end.

Pence was taken into custody without incident and told the officer he had drank two beers.

Four empty Bud Light bottles were in the passenger side of the car.

A field sobriety test was conducted at the Platte County Detention Center in Platte City. A breath sample provided shows his BAC to be .217 — above the legal limit of .08.

Pence has two previous convictions for DWI, in 2012 in St. Joseph and in 2015 in Platte County.

He left custody on June 19 after a $10,000 surety bond was posted.

The day prior, his case was transferred from judge Quint Shafer to Ann Hansbrough.