Christopher James McDonald
(PCSD file photo)
By Patti Weaver
(Stillwater, Okla.) — A Cushing man was arraigned Tuesday from the Payne County Jail on a felony charge of stealing a Ford Mustang on June 18 that was reportedly spotted about 15 minutes later in the Lincoln County community of Agra where he was arrested.
If convicted of his latest charge, Christopher James McDonald, 33, could be given a five-year prison term. McDonald remains held on $5,000 bail pending an Aug. 30 court appearance on his Payne County charge with an attorney.
Cushing Police Officer Christopher Haywood had been sent at 1:13 pm on June 18 to O’Reilly Auto Parts at 1143 E. Main regarding a Ford Mustang that had just been stolen, an affidavit alleged.
Oklahoma Highway Patrol Trooper Tony Harper, who was off duty, “advised he had witnessed the Mustang traveling southbound from 9th on Linwood at a high rate of speed,” the affidavit alleged.
“While speaking with the owner of the vehicle, communications advised Agra Police Department had found the Mustang,” and the suspect, identified as Christopher McDonald, the Cushing officer alleged in his affidavit.
McDonald was held in the Lincoln County Jail until last week on a charge of possessing the Ford Mustang in Agra that had been stolen in Cushing, court records show. McDonald was ordered to appear in Lincoln County District Court for a jury trial on Oct. 17, with a pre-trial hearing scheduled for Sept. 27 on the stolen vehicle possession charge.
Agra Police Officer Brad Jackson alleged in an affidavit that at 1:26 pm on June 18 he observed a Ford Mustang drive through a stop sign at an extremely high rate of speed.
After Agra Police Officer Bradley Wright located the Mustang, Officer Jackson talked to a man, who said “Chris McDonald was driving the white Ford Mustang and when McDonald pulled in, he almost hit the kids playing in the yard,” an affidavit alleged.
“At that point, Chris McDonald walked out of the residence and began walking towards me. I asked McDonald if he was driving the white Ford Mustang and he replied yes, he was. I asked McDonald why he blew through the stop sign. McDonald stated that he was trying to have fun and that he was trying to see his family.
“At that time, Officer Wright advised me that the white Ford Mustang was reported stolen out of the city of Cushing. McDonald was acting erratic, belligerent and combative. Due to his behavior, Officer Wright and I requested back up to effect the arrest,” Officer Jackson alleged in his affidavit.
According to Payne County court records, 11 days earlier on June 7 McDonald had been placed on five years of probation for second-degree burglary and car theft in 2020.
At the same court appearance on June 7 in Payne County, McDonald was placed on probation for one year for breaking and entering Homestead Restaurant in Cushing on Oct. 13, 2021, and six months’ probation for attempted breaking and entering a Cushing house on Oct. 13, 2021.
