Suspect allegedly attempted to scrap property belonging to city

By Kyle Troutman [email protected]

A Cassville man has been charged with a felony and a misdemeanor for allegedly stealing pipe fittings belonging to the city of Cassville and attempting to scrap the metal at a local business.

Justin Youngblood, 36, of Cassville, is charged with stealing ($750 or more) and misdemeanor first-degree trespassing.

According to a probable cause statement filed by Det. Sleeth, with the Barry County Sheriff’s Office, on July 17 at approximately 3:42 p.m., Rebel Recycling contacted the Cassville Police Department regarding water pipe fittings that had been brought in to be scrapped.

The male who brought the fittings in was allegedly identified through a driver’s license photograph provided by Rebel Recycling as Youngblood.

A photograph of the pipe fittings was also provided and shown to the Cassville Public Works Director, who confirmed the fittings belonged to the city and had allegedly been taken from a secured, fenced lot at 700 Mill Street.

Sleeth responded to the lot and examined the area where the fittings were allegedly stored, and two large circular rust marks on a wooden pallet corresponding to the locations where the fittings had previously sat. The patterns allegedly appeared to match the fittings recovered at Rebel Recycling.

On June 27, Cassville Police responded to a call for service in which Youngblood had allegedly trespassed on a property by crawling under a gate. The property is immediately adjacent to the lot from which the fittings were allegedly stolen.

The total value of the fittings is $1,921.90.

Sleeth noted in the report Youngblood had multiple prior felony convictions for stealing and burglary from 2009 to 2025, and he is currently under probation or parole.

Youngbloood was booked into the Barry County jail at 11:32 a.m. on Aug. 7, and he is being held on a cash-only bond of $50,000. 

He has been arraigned and has pleaded not guilty, and a bond hearing was held on Thursday in the courtroom of Judge Robert Foulke, where bond modification was denied.