CASEYVILLE — A vehicular hijacking incident early on Monday, November 25, 2024, in Caseyville led to a police response that resulted in the identification and arrest of a suspect.
At approximately 2:24 a.m. on Nov. 25, 2024, Caseyville Police Department officers were dispatched to a local motel following reports of shots fired during an attempted hijacking. Upon arrival, officers found the victim who reported that an unknown suspect had attempted to take their vehicle. During the encounter, an occupant of the vehicle retrieved a firearm and fired at the suspect, who then fled on foot.
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Multiple law enforcement agencies responded to the scene, deploying police canines and drones in an effort to locate the suspect, but initial attempts were unsuccessful. The Caseyville Police Department, in collaboration with the Metro East Auto Theft Task Force, gathered surveillance footage from nearby businesses, which proved instrumental in identifying the suspect.
Authorities later determined the suspect's location and executed a search warrant. The suspect, identified as Luke A. Prindable, was taken into custody and found to have sustained a gunshot wound during the incident. He was subsequently transported to a local hospital for treatment.
On Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2024, the St. Clair County State's Attorney’s Office announced charges against Prindable, including attempted aggravated vehicular hijacking with a weapon, attempted armed robbery, and unlawful vehicular invasion, all classified as Class 1 felonies.
Prindable was on pretrial release for a separate case involving unlawful possession of a stolen motor vehicle at the time of the incident. His legal history includes multiple court dates missed after previous arrests, with periods of custody totaling 55 days over the course of the year prior to this incident.
The Caseyville Police Department expressed gratitude for the assistance provided by responding law enforcement agencies during the investigation.
As a reminder, the charges against Prindable are formal, and he is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
