ST. LOUIS – A St. Louis man appeared in federal court on Monday and admitted to a pair of carjackings in the summer of 2022, one of which was fatal.
Prosecutors with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Missouri said Loyse Dozier, 21, committed the crimes over a three-week period in July and August 2022.
The first carjacking took place on July 10 at the Raqqa Mart, located in the 300 block of Chambers Road in Riverview.
The victim, Laruth Jones, was standing near the store entrance when she saw Dozier, who was wearing a full-face mask, enter her Mercedes CLA 250. Jones, who was armed, went out to confront Dozier.
Dozier and Jones exchanged gunfire, and Jones was killed. Dozier took Jones’ firearm and fled in the stolen Mercedes. The vehicle was later found torched in a St. Louis alley.
On Aug. 1, Dozier shot a woman three times during a carjacking outside a Walgreens in the 1400 block of North Grand Boulevard.
In that incident, the victim was sitting in her car, a Kia Optima, when Dozier, who was masked and armed, walked up to the vehicle and demanded the woman’s keys. The victim complied and handed over her keys.
Dozier shot her twice before getting into the car.
An off-duty Florissant police officer was working security inside the store when he heard the gunshots and ran outside. Dozier got out of the car and ran off, but left his phone in the Kia.
Nine days later, officers with the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department saw Dozier at a gas station at West Florissant and Adelaide avenues. He ran off and attempted to discard a handgun and a bag containing 5.76 grams of fentanyl.
That firearm he’d attempted to discard was a .45-caliber Smith & Wesson handgun, which he’d stolen from Jones after killing her. That same weapon was used in the second carjacking and shooting.
Dozier was already a convicted felon and thus prohibited from possessing a firearm. He also had 25 plastic baggies on his person containing cocaine base, as well as a magazine for the handgun.
Dozier pleaded guilty to carjacking resulting in death, attempted carjacking resulting in serious bodily injury, being a felon in possession of a firearm, and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.
Dozier will be sentenced on March 11, 2024. As part of the plea agreement, both the prosecution and defense agree to recommend the judge impose a 32-year sentence.