Charges: New Prague man stole car used in pursuit from woman who gave him a ride
A man is behind bars facing multiple charges after a pursuit with law enforcement Tuesday afternoon.
Christopher Glen Phillips, 28, of New Prague, was charged Thursday with felony counts of motor vehicle theft, and fleeing police in a motor vehicle. He also faces misdemeanor charges of reckless driving and driving after revocation.
According to a criminal complaint, Phillips had caught a ride from Mankato to St. Peter with a Neisen’s Bar and Grill employee, who agreed to let him stay in the car to wait for his ride when she began her shift.
The woman later came outside to find her vehicle gone, according to the complaint. Phillips returned nearly an hour later to the bar, where Le Sueur County deputies say he “appeared to be sleeping in the victim’s vehicle.” The complaint says deputies had Phillips exit the vehicle but he jumped back into the car, locked the doors, and fled east on Highway 99, leading the deputy on a chase reaching speeds in excess of 100 mph.
Court documents say Phillips “continuously passed vehicles on the roadway, and would not stop in response to squad lights and sirens.”
The pursuit traveled through Cleveland and towards Le Center, according to a release from the Le Sueur County Sheriff’s Office. Deputies deployed stop sticks on the highway, which Phillips was able to evade. Eventually, a tire blowout caused the stolen vehicle to go into the ditch, where it came to rest in some trees.
The complaint says Phillips appeared to be unconscious after he crashed. Phillips was taken to River’s Edge Hospital for evaluation of his injuries, then transported to the Le Sueur County Jail.
Police say Phillips had multiple felony warrants from other counties. His potential charges include motor vehicle theft, fleeing police, and driving after revocation.
