A Springfield man was arrested Friday morning after police located a stolen U‑Haul truck parked outside a convenience store in Mountain Grove.
According to a probable cause statement filed in Wright County, an officer responded to Red’s Express on North Maple Avenue around 10:27 a.m. on February 6 after receiving information that a U‑Haul box truck reported stolen out of Springfield was parked on the lot with a man sleeping inside.
When the officer arrived, he contacted two men at the vehicle. The driver, identified as Christopher Ray Barrett, told the officer the truck was not stolen and claimed a friend had rented it. While officers waited for confirmation, the passenger was released.
Dispatch later confirmed the truck had been entered as stolen by the Springfield Police Department on January 28. Barrett was detained and the vehicle was impounded after an inventory search.
U‑Haul management told officers the renter, identified as Chad Irvin, had reported the truck stolen four days earlier and had been contacted by police regarding the theft.
Barrett was transported to the Wright County Jail and placed on a 24‑hour hold. He is charged with first‑degree tampering with a motor vehicle.
