September 10th, 2025 Local News
St. Francois Co., Mo. (KFMO) - The St. Francois County Sheriff’s Department reports that two men are in custody after a 1-year-old child was taken without consent Tuesday afternoon.
Authorities say the child’s biological mother contacted the Sheriff’s Department after her baby was taken by the child’s uncle and her ex-boyfriend, who is not the biological father. The pair left the scene in a red 2013 Hyundai Tucson. Law enforcement agencies across St. Francois County and surrounding jurisdictions were immediately alerted, and an AMBER Alert was initiated. However, the Missouri State Highway Patrol later determined the case did not meet the criteria for an official alert.
Around 1:40 p.m., the suspect vehicle was captured on a license plate reader in Farmington. A deputy attempted to intercept the vehicle but lost sight of it. At 2:57 p.m., a Missouri State Highway Patrol Trooper spotted the SUV near Highway B outside Doe Run. The vehicle turned abruptly into a private driveway in what investigators believe was an attempt to evade law enforcement.
The Trooper followed and successfully detained both suspects without incident. The 1-year-old was found inside the vehicle safe and alert and was quickly reunited with his mother.
The suspects, identified as 30-year-old Derick Horn and 27-year-old Daniel Clover, both of Bonne Terre, were booked into the St. Francois County Adult Detention Center on suspicion of first-degree kidnapping. Formal charges are pending.
