ALTON – A St. Louis man accused of using a stolen box truck to break into an Alton building after robbing a Phillips 66 employee at gunpoint has been detained on multiple felony charges.
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Jesse J. Williams, 35, of St. Louis, was charged with the following offenses on April 27, 2026:
Armed robbery (a Class X felony)
Unlawful possession of a stolen motor vehicle (a Class 2 felony)
Attempted burglary (a Class 3 felony)
Aggravated unlawful possession of weapons (a Class 4 felony)
Criminal damage to property (a Class 4 felony)
On April 26, 2026, Williams allegedly stole cash and assorted retail items from a Phillips 66 employee by threatening the use of force while armed with a Smith & Wesson .40 caliber handgun. His possession of the uncased, loaded, and immediately accessible weapon was unlawful given his lack of a valid Firearm Owner’s Identification (FOID) card and Concealed Carry License (CCL).
On the same date, Williams is accused of knowingly possessing a stolen International box truck and attempting to break into the Alton Truck and Tire Repair building at 2909 E. Broadway by attaching a chain between the business’s garage door and the vehicle’s bumper, causing over $500 worth of damage to the building.
The Madison County State’s Attorney’s Office filed a petition to deny Williams’s pretrial release from custody. According to the petition, the Phillips 66 employee reported seeing a male suspect enter the convenience store and place items on the counter, “apparently to pay.”
“Instead, he displayed a firearm, demanding U.S. currency and fled with currency and multiple retail items,” the petition states. “Video surveillance captured the incident and defendant is clearly identifiable.”
Soon afterward, Williams was reportedly spotted “having driven [a] box truck through the front gate of Alton Truck and Tire Repair,” the petition goes on to state.
“Defendant had attached a chain to the bumper of a truck stolen out of Missouri, apparently intending to use it to pull open the garage door,” the petition continues. “He was found in possession of a firearm and currency from the robbery.”
The Alton Police Department presented the case against Williams, who currently remains in custody at the Madison County Jail.
All individuals charged are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
