Father pursues 2 men stealing his trailer, crashes then gets shot, Kentucky cops say
Two men have been arrested after they allegedly stole a man’s trailer and shot him, resulting in his death, Kentucky cops say.
Deputies in Bullitt County, just south of Louisville, were dispatched around 3 a.m. on Jan. 22 when they learned a man’s trailer had just been stolen, according to a news release. Kevin Watts, 42, had chased after the two suspects, who were driving a Dodge Ram and pulling the trailer behind it.
The trailer contained a race car Watts had built with his 13- and 14-year-old sons, WDRB reported.
The suspects crashed into a tree and Watts collided with the trailer as he was driving behind it, the Bullitt County Sheriff’s Office said. Watts, the only person still at the scene when deputies arrived, was found with a gunshot wound, sheriff’s officials said.
Due to his injuries, he was unable to give deputies a description of the suspects. Watts died at the scene, sheriff officials said.
During its investigation, detectives identified Richard Reno, a 38-year-old man of Louisville, as one of two suspects. He was arrested Monday, Jan. 31, according to the sheriff.
Investigators identified 22-year-old Bradley Simmons as the second suspect on Wednesday, Feb. 2, according to Sheriff Walt Sholar. As deputies were traveling to Louisville to detain Simmons, Louisville Police officers told Bullitt County deputies that Simmons was found shot in a parking lot, Sholar said.
Simmons suffered non-life threatening injuries and is in the custody of the Bullitt County Sheriff’s Office, according to the sheriff. It’s unclear what led to Simmons being shot.
Reno and Simmons were charged with murder and first-degree robbery. The pickup truck they were driving had been stolen earlier in the month out of Casey County, the sheriff’s office said at the time of the incident.
A phone left behind at the crime scene helped investigators identify the suspects, WAVE reported.
“Immediately after Watts was shot, both suspects left before police arrived, but a cellphone left behind by Reno’s accomplice revealed text messages between the two discussing stealing trailers and other property,” WAVE reported, citing an arrest warrant. “Reno had also texted the phone, saying he had ‘totaled the truck’ and showing off his injuries from the crash with Watts.”
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Bullitt County Sheriff’s Office at 502-543-1262.
According to an obituary, Watts was a native of Louisville who owned and operated a cleaning and pressure washing business. He was also a member of Draggen Azz Car Club.
“He loved to hunt deer and turkey. Enjoys fishing and drag racing,” the obituary stated. “Well known in the community. Owned a local business providing new construction services for a large local home builder. Dedicated his life to his wife and boys as well as family and friends.”
His widow, Nicole Watts, told WAVE their oldest son is “very angry” his father was killed.
“You hear your property going down the road, anybody else would probably jump in their car and chase after it too, because once it’s gone, you know you’re probably never going to get it back,” Nicole Watts told the station.
This story was originally published February 3, 2022 at 8:31 AM with the headline "Father pursues 2 men stealing his trailer, crashes then gets shot, Kentucky cops say."