A Cabool man is facing a felony charge after deputies say he stole a maroon GMC pickup from a residence on March 26.
According to a probable cause statement filed by the Texas County Sheriff’s Office, the vehicle’s owner reported his truck and the keys missing from inside his home around 10 a.m. The owner told deputies that “Pederson never arrived… the next morning… his maroon GMC pickup and the keys… were missing” .
Deputies later located the truck at a home on Airport Road, where they found Zaeus Pederson, who initially identified himself only as “Pederson.” The report states that Pederson claimed he had been walking and “had found the truck,” but was unable to provide a legitimate explanation for possessing it .
A witness confirmed Pederson had not been at the residence the night before, and Cabool Police Chief Gerald Sigman told investigators he had issued citations to Pederson while he was driving the same pickup earlier that day—before it had been reported stolen.
Deputies detained Pederson and advised him of his Miranda rights. He declined to speak further. The sheriff’s office states that the evidence shows Pederson “knowingly took possession of and operated a motor vehicle without the owner’s consent.”
Pederson is charged with felony motor vehicle theft and tampering with a motor vehicle, his bond is set at $3500.
