The young man who took the family vehicle without permission was arrested Sunday on a warrant.
The case began on April 9, when the wife of 44-year-old James Preston of Picayune called the Pearl River County Sheriff’s Department to report her husband had not returned home by the that morning after he left to recover the family vehicle. According to previous coverage, Preston set out the previous night on his motorcycle in an attempt to locate the family vehicle, which had been taken without permission by Preston’s son.
A previous story in the Item incorrectly listed the person who took the vehicle as Preston’s stepson. Chief Deputy Shane Tucker said the man who took the truck is actually Preston’s son, identified as 25-year-old James Kasey Preston of 31 Preacher Hill Road.
Apparently, the younger Preston took the family’s 1999 Chevrolet pickup truck without permission, which was described as being gold and gray in color. After the younger James Preston took the vehicle, the elder Preston attempted to locate his son and the vehicle.
While looking for the vehicle during the night the elder James Preston was involved in a motorcycle accident when the motorcycle left the road in a curve and possibly struck a tree, resulting in Preston’s death, previous coverage states.
Tucker said that after the younger James Preston still had not returned with the vehicle, a warrant was issued for his arrest on the charge of felony taking of a vehicle. Preston was arrested in Meridian Sunday on that charge and the vehicle was recovered, Tucker said.