Missouri law enforcement officials arrested two men after discovering seven children between the ages of 2 to 13 and several adults in the back of a U-Haul box truck during a traffic stop on the interstate, according to reports.
KY3, a local NBC station out of Springfield, Missouri, reported that 31-year-old Shaikiem Bristol and 22-year-old Musa Omar were charged with seven counts of first-degree endangering the welfare of a child.
The station reported that, according to court documents, a trooper with the Missouri State Highway Patrol stopped a U-Haul box truck at about 4:30 p.m. on Sunday on Interstate 44.
Bristol allegedly told the trooper he and Omar rented a U-Haul box truck in Buffalo, New York, and drove down to Glendale, Arizona, to pick up a woman who had been kicked out of her house by her mother.
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When Bristol and Omar were pulled over, Bristol explained to the trooper that they were on their way back up to New York from Arizona.
Two women were in the passenger seat, and Bristol said they were his sister and fiancé.
The women told police a different story — that they traveled to Arizona to pick up some things and visit family.
In the court documents, the trooper noted there were conflicting stories being told by the suspects about the trip, leading the trooper to believe they were involved in criminal activity.
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When the trooper asked to search the U-Haul, Bristol reportedly gave permission and said there were beds, clothing and five adults and seven kids in the back.
The trooper called for backup and placed the women and Bristol under arrest.
To prevent anyone from running into traffic on the interstate, police transported the U-Haul to the Webster County Jail for further investigation.
During the investigation, troopers opened the back of the truck and noticed the air was warm and there was no power or air conditioning. Troopers also said there were clothes and food containers in the back, and most of the children removed from the U-Haul had dirty diapers that had not been changed for hours, police alleged.
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The occupants in the back were also reportedly sweaty because of the heat.
When questioned by troopers, Bristol allegedly said he did not know why they took the kids on the trip, knowing it was going to be hot.
“That’s why we tried to stop a lot,” Bristol told police.
He explained that he and Omar tried to stop every hour and a half to two hours during the trip, so the occupants in the back would not get hot. The two men also reportedly shared driving responsibilities, police said.
The Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement and the Department of Family Services also responded to the scene.
Bristol and Omar were booked into the Webster County Jail and held without bond.
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