BY Sarah smith
ssmith@parkrapidsenterprise.com
A suspected shoplifting incident late Monday afternoon led to a high speed pursuit out of Park Rapids, ending near Nevis with the arrest of a man and woman.
The chase of the stolen car allegedly topped speeds of 100 mph.
A man and woman were taken into custody on County Road 2 north of Nevis when the chase came to an end. Authorities said they were dumping stolen items from the superstore along the way.
Police chief Terry Eilers said one of his deputies encountered the pair in the L&M Fleet parking lot and things just didn’t look right to him. The officer ran a check on the plates and learned the vehicle was stolen from North Dakota.
“Then it was on,” Eilers said of the chase.
Sheriff Cory Aukes said the chase went east on Highway 34, then north through Dorset on Highway 226, east on County Road 50 south of Zorbaz, then east on County 40 to County Road 2 north of Nevis, where they turned north and were stopped.
A package of meat was found at the side of the road at one point along the chase route, but Aukes and Eilers both said they’re not sure it was related to the shoplifting incident. Rumors the pair had stolen a gun also could not be confirmed.
“They dumped something black out of the car and everybody thinks it’s a gun,” Eilers said. Officers combed the ditches along the escape route to recover items that may have been stolen.
The getaway car apparently missed spike strips on County Roads 2 and 40, Eilers said, and kept moving. No other information was available by press time Tuesday morning. The pair was expected in court Tuesday.
