Teens charged with fleeing police, crashing near MN Capitol

2022-06-18 23:06:01 By : Mr. Bruce Zhou

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Two 15-year-old boys face criminal charges for a Wednesday night incident in which authorities say a group of juveniles fled police in stolen cars, crashed one of them into a St. Paul police squad car near the Minnesota Capitol and then ran from the scene.

The incident sent the Capitol into a brief lockdown, and a House of Representatives floor session went into recess.

The Ramsey County attorney’s office filed juvenile delinquency petitions Friday against the two teens alleging theft of motor vehicle, fleeing a peace officer in a motor vehicle, motor vehicle tampering and fleeing a peace officer by a means other than a motor vehicle.

An attorney’s office spokesman said Friday that cases against two other boys, ages 12 and 13, remain under review.

A fifth suspect who eluded capture Wednesday has yet to be taken into custody, Steve Linders, a police spokesman, said Friday.

The incident began when St. Paul officers saw two stolen cars at Blair and Western avenues in Frogtown at about 7:20 p.m. Officers tried to pull them over, but they drove away. Police did not pursue, based on St. Paul police policy.

A Minnesota State Patrol helicopter tracked the car from the air as they drove to Woodbury. Law enforcement put out a stop stick, and one car — a Hyundai Sonata stolen out of St. Paul — went over and crashed, according to police.

Three juveniles jumped out and into a Honda Accord, which had been stolen in Edina. They drove back to St. Paul and the 15-year-old driver rear-ended a marked St. Paul squad car at about 40 mph near the Capitol, police said. The officer did not immediately report being injured.

The driver soon crashed in a state of Minnesota parking lot and five people ran from the car. Three juveniles tried hiding in a portable toilet and were arrested, while the suspected driver was found at an apartment building at Sherburne Avenue and Rice Street.

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