Two people from St. Louis were apprehended early Tuesday evening following a pursuit that began in St. Louis County and ended in Valmeyer’s Rock City cave complex.

The Monroe County Sheriff’s Department said that shortly before 4:40 p.m. Tuesday, local law enforcement was notified via Illinois State Police Emergency Radio Network broadcast of a vehicle pursuit initiated by the St. Louis County Police Department involving a white Audi A4 traveling eastbound on I-255 into Illinois over the Jefferson Barracks Bridge.

ISP advised that St. Louis County police terminated the pursuit at the state line however and that the Audi was wanted for leaving the scene of a crash in Missouri.

Shortly thereafter, MSD deputies, along with Valmeyer and Columbia police, were notified that this suspect vehicle exited Route 3 at Palmer Road in Columbia and was traveling southbound on Bluff Road. A volunteer firefighter radioed that he was following the vehicle, which displayed Illinois license plates that did not match the registered vehicle.

A Valmeyer police officer soon observed the Audi stopped in the roadway near Ziebold Road. As the officer confronted this vehicle, the driver placed the vehicle in drive and fled.

MCSD deputies responded from both the north and south of Bluff Road. A deputy deployed spike strips at Bluff Road and School Street in old Valmeyer, but the driver swerved off-road, through a grassy area, and conducted a U-turn, fleeing northbound back toward Valmeyer. Another deputy deployed spike strips north of the Rock City entrance. The vehicle then turned onto Boulder Boulevard and entered the Rock City caves.

With local police knowing there is only one way in and out of the caves, law enforcement units from multiple agencies surrounded the area while additional units arrived. Teams entered the caves at two separate access points, where the suspect vehicle was located.

“Verbal commands were given, but after receiving no response, deputies breached the vehicle’s heavily tinted driver-side window,” an MCSD press release states.

A male and female suspect were taken into custody without further incident. The male, Nathan M. Cole of St. Louis, had an active United States Marshals Service warrant for a probation violation related to a weapons possession case.

The female, Justice K. Douglas of St. Louis, was charged with aggravated fleeing/eluding police and unlawful possession of a controlled substance.

Both were transported to the Monroe County Jail for further investigation.

Cole remains in custody at the Monroe County Jail pending extradition proceedings with the Marshals Service for his federal probation violation. Douglas also remains in custody, with a pre-trial hearing Thursday at the Monroe County Courthouse.

“During a search of the vehicle, investigators recovered multiple license plates from various states, furthering the ongoing investigation,” the MCSD press release states. “The Monroe County Sheriff’s Department continues to work closely with the St. Louis County Police Department.”