ST. LOUIS — A man from St. Louis admitted to committing a robbery in 2020 and crashing into a funeral procession while fleeing police.
Diven Steed, 27, pleaded guilty on Wednesday to a robbery charge and charge of brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a violent crime, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Missouri.
Steed and his co-defendant Collis Lee robbed an O'Reilly Auto Parts store in Jennings on Dec. 5, 2020, the attorney's office said. Steed was carrying a Pioneer Arms "Hellpup" AK-47 style pistol, while Lee also had a pistol.
Steed's plea agreement says the suspects stole cash from the store registers. Lee pistol-whipped a clerk twice during the robbery, the agreement says.
During this time, a customer was able to escape and ask employees of another store to call 911.
As Steed and Lee were leaving the store, police arrived and the pair were pointed out by witnesses as the suspects. They were able to escape and drove away.
Shortly after they drove off, they crashed into a limousine that was part of a funeral procession transporting family members to a funeral home, the attorney's office said. Five people were injured in the vehicle.
Lee ran, but tripped and was found by police.
Steed escaped the crashed vehicle and ran towards homes, refusing to listen to police orders to drop his gun. Police said he was presenting a danger to officers and area residents, according to the plea agreement. Steed was shot at twice by an officer and was struck in the buttocks.
Lee pleaded guilty to the same charges in December and received a sentence of 11 years and three months in March.
Steed will be sentenced on Nov. 16 after he pleaded guilty. He faces up to 20 years for the robbery charge. There is a mandatory seven-year term for the gun charge.
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