Charges: Rochester man with revoked license crashes while high on meth, kills passenger

A man who has been caught driving many times after having his license revoked rolled his car in southern Minnesota while on a "meth binge" and killed a woman in the vehicle, according to charges.

Jesse J. Juaire, 27, of Rochester, was charged Monday in Goodhue County District Court with criminal vehicular homicide, driving under the influence of an illicit drug and driving after his license was canceled.

Juaire remains jailed in lieu of $100,000 bail ahead of an Oct. 26 court hearing. A message was left Thursday with his attorney seeking a response to the allegations.

Killed in the crash on Hwy. 52 about 4:45 a.m. on Aug. 18 was Cassandra Sims, 32, of Sargeant, Minn.

Juaire has been ticketed at least eight times over the years for driving after having his license revoked, including once two months ago and another three times in 2016, according to court records.

In 2013, he was convicted in Olmsted County of criminal vehicular operation in connection with fleeing from a two-vehicle crash in Rochester. His criminal history also includes convictions for drug offenses, theft, burglary and disorderly conduct.

According to the criminal complaint from last week's crash:

Juaire told a trooper that another man was driving and ran away. Passenger Meless L. Bruton, 39, of Austin, Minn., gave the trooper a similar account.

When a trooper questioned Bruton separately moments later, he admitted that only he, Juaire and Sims were in the car, and that Juaire was driving.

Juaire, his speech slurred and appearing lethargic to the trooper, also was questioned further and said the crash was his fault. He also said he "had been on a meth binge for a while," the complaint read.

After being taken to the Zumbrota Police Department, Juaire was told the steering wheel would be checked for fingerprints. Juaire explained that he tried to move the car after the crash.

Eventually that morning, Juaire told authorities that he was driving, thought he saw a semitrailer truck in his way and swerved. He also admitted to concocting the story about someone else was driving.