Teen charged with fleeing Ramsey County deputies, State Patrol for 40 miles in stolen car

A teenager with an extensive criminal history has been charged with stealing a car and fleeing law enforcement in St. Paul at speeds topping 100 mph until his capture roughly 40 miles later.

The 16-year-old, who is from Chanhassen, was charged as a juvenile last week in Ramsey County District Court with receiving stolen property and fleeing police in connection with the nearly 40-mile chase in the first hour of Oct. 24.

The teenager made a court appearance and remains in custody, pending his return to court on Nov. 30. The Star Tribune is not identifying him because prosecutors have not signaled whether they intend to have his case moved to adult court.

The Ramsey County Sheriff's Office said the teenager has nine previous arrests in several cases for fleeing police, possession of weapons by a minor, motor vehicle theft and assault. He also was on probation in Carver County for possession of stolen property and possession of a firearm, the Sheriff's Office said.

The teenager was wearing a GPS monitoring bracelet at the time of his arrest. He also needed treatment for gunshot wounds before he was booked into juvenile detention, the charges read.

Sheriff Bob Fletcher, who is running unopposed for re-election, seized on the incident to ask legislators to call a special legislative session to address crime.

"The fire is burning," Fletcher said at a news conference. "We don't have five to six months to wait to curb what is happening."

A Star Tribune analysis of police data from Minneapolis and St. Paul shows that car thefts have jumped about 35% in Minneapolis and 28% in St. Paul compared to last year.

Minneapolis reported Monday that gun-related calls declined 30% in October over the same period in 2021. Officials credited a new partnership between police, prosecutors and violence prevention teams.

According to the charges:

Shortly after midnight, police spotted a black Kia, reported stolen from the 1800 block of Berkeley Avenue, being driven recklessly near Rice Street and Hatch Avenue. Police followed the car to Interstate 94 and Kellogg Avenue, where a Sheriff's Office sergeant activated his lights and siren, then signaled the Kia driver to stop.

For the next 6 miles, the pursuing sheriff's sergeant saw the driver "exceed 100 miles per hour, run stop signs and red lights and drive the wrong way down one-day streets," according to the charges.

The teenager stopped in St. Paul in the 700 block of Sherburne Avenue and ran from the car. The patrol helicopter kept track of the teen until officers on the ground arrested him a few blocks from where he left the car.

The boy was taken to Regions Hospital, where he was treated for gunshot wounds to his stomach and leg. After his release, he was booked into the Ramsey County Juvenile Detention Center.

The car's back window was broken, and its ignition was manipulated in order to start it. The owners of the car said it was taken from in front of their home the evening before the pursuit.