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What Started As A Test Drive Turned Into An Insane Crime Spree Featuring Over A Dozen Charges

What Started As A Test Drive Turned Into An Insane Crime Spree Featuring Over A Dozen Charges

It all started with a test drive. It ended with likely tens of thousands of dollars worth of mayhem and destruction and more than a dozen criminal charges. The man responsible for the mayhem in the small town of Charleston, MO is 32-year-old Dustin Robinson, and his list of charges would make even the most hardened criminal jealous. According to the Mississippi County Sheriff, Robinson has been charged with two counts of first degree arson, second degree burglary, two counts of tampering with a motor vehicle in the first degree, two counts of knowing burning, two counts of first degree property damage, second degree assault, disarming a corrections officer, first degree kidnapping and first degree burglary. You have to admit that is an impressive list of crimes.

But it all started with that test drive.


Dustin Robinson, photo courtesy of Mississippi County Sheriff’s Office


According to police, Robinson allegedly took a pickup truck for a test drive on September 7th and never returned to the dealership. Instead, police accuse Robinson of ending up at a quiet country residence and destroyed the truck with an excavator, then lit the truck on fire, burning it to a crisp.


The remains of the truck, photo courtesy of Mississippi Country Sheriff


Robinson wasn’t done though. After the truck burned, he allegedly lit the residence on fire and burned it to the ground, along with a large shop building that housed a car and other equipment. Police then believe he forced a passing motorist to drive him to a random highway weigh station, for what purpose isn’t clear. When he and the kidnapped motorist arrive, Robinson allegedly stole items from the car and jumped out. Before he could enter the weigh station though, the employees stopped him, so he took off into a nearby field, where he was finally apprehended by police.

But he STILL wasn’t done!


The Burned Residence, photo courtsey of Mississippi County Sheriff


The best way to make sure you go to jail quickly and for a long time is to take a swing at a cop. Robinson must have thought that was playing it too safe because once he was at the police station, he somehow managed to get into a scuffle with one of the officers and wrestler her taser away and attempt to tase her. Luckily he missed and the officer wasn’t injured, but we can bet that Robinson probably was after all these insane shenanigans.

There is currently no information on if Robinson was on some illicit substance (though that stands to probably be true). In any case, Robinson is being held on $325,000 cash only bond, and probably won’t see the light of day for quite some time.