A St. Louis man has confessed to his involvement in the armed robbery of an O’Reilly Auto Parts store located in Jennings, Missouri. The incident, which occurred in December 2020, involved a dangerous escape attempt that concluded with a crash into a funeral procession.
Diven Steed, 27, pleaded guilty on Wednesday to charges stemming from the robbery of the O’Reilly Auto Parts in Jennings. According to court documents, Steed and his accomplice, Collis Lee, entered the auto parts store armed on December 5, 2020. Steed was carrying a Pioneer Arms “Hellpup” AK-47 style pistol.
During the robbery at the Jennings car parts store, the two men demanded cash from the store’s registers. Lee reportedly assaulted one of the store clerks by pistol-whipping him. In an attempt to diffuse the situation, the second clerk offered the robbers his own personal money. When the employees stated they could not access the time-locked safe, Lee further assaulted the already injured clerk a second time.
Unbeknownst to Steed and Lee, while they were focused on intimidating the store clerks, a customer managed to slip out of the O’Reilly Auto Parts and alert employees at a neighboring business, who then called 911.
Upon exiting the O’Reilly Auto Parts store, witnesses identified Steed and Lee to the arriving police officers. The two men attempted to flee in a vehicle, leading to a car chase. Their escape was abruptly halted when their vehicle collided with a limousine that was part of a three-car funeral procession. The procession was en route to a funeral home, carrying grieving family members. The crash resulted in injuries to five occupants of the limousine.
Following the crash, Steed exited the vehicle and attempted to flee on foot towards nearby residences. He ignored police commands to drop his weapon, posing a significant threat to both law enforcement and residents in the vicinity. As a result, a police officer discharged their weapon twice, striking Steed in the buttocks.
Lee also fled on foot but tripped and fell. Upon apprehending Lee, police discovered two firearms, along with cash and coins, concealed within the layers of sweatpants he was wearing.
Steed entered his guilty plea before U.S. District Judge Henry E. Autrey, admitting to charges of robbery and brandishing a firearm during a violent crime. His sentencing is scheduled for November 16. The robbery charge carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, while the firearm charge carries a mandatory minimum sentence of seven years, to be served consecutively to any other sentence.
Collis Lee, 25, from Moline Acres, had previously pleaded guilty to the same charges in December. He was sentenced in March to 11 years and three months in prison for his role in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Jennings robbery.
The St. Louis County Police Department conducted the investigation into this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Dunkel is the prosecuting attorney.
