Driver of stolen vehicle arrested after pursuit through north metro
Courtesy: Ramsey County Sheriff's Office
A man who was in a stolen vehicle and led law enforcement on a pursuit through the north metro was arrested Thursday.
According to the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office, at about 1 p.m., deputies found a vehicle that had been stolen in November parked on the 1100 block of Westminster Street in St. Paul.
Due to the car being occupied, members of the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office Carjacking and Auto Theft (CAT) Team and deputies with the Sheriff’s Office Gun Team were called to assist with a vehicle intervention maneuver, which is designed to box in a stolen vehicle and prevent the driver from fleeing.
Before additional help could arrive, the suspect drove away in the stolen vehicle, according to officials.
The man drove north on I-35E to County Road E in Vadnais Heights, where deputies ended the pursuit. He continued to County Road J, where the Minnesota State Patrol established visuals on the vehicle using traffic monitoring cameras.
The driver returned to 35E before exiting on Highway 96 in White Bear Lake and continued west on Highway 96 while still being monitored by State Patrol cameras until he was spotted by the Ramsey County sheriff near the intersection of Rice Street and Highway 96.
The vehicle continued to Mackubin Street, where it was spotted by members of the Lake Johanna Fire Department. Squads temporarily lost sight of the vehicle but found it again near the intersection of Lexington Avenue North and Highway 96 in Shoreview.
A State Patrol helicopter then established visual contact of the suspect going south on Snelling Avenue into Roseville, west on County Road C2 and south on Lincoln Street, where he pulled into the parking lot of a Pizza Luce.
Members of the CAT Team and the Roseville Police Department arrested 18-year-old Darnell Hawkins Mapp Jr. for possession of stolen property and fleeing in a motor vehicle. The sheriff’s office adds that Mapp Jr. has a history with law enforcement.
Click here to view the video of the pursuit captured on Ramsey County Sheriff’s “Live on Patrol” broadcast.