Rochester man arrested after high-speed pursuit

A Rochester man has been arrested after a high-speed pursuit involving a stolen vehicle in the Smith Mill area Monday.

Donovan Tomas Egilsson, 24, is in custody in Blue Earth County on charges of fleeing police in a motor vehicle and stolen property.

Deputies initially responded at around 2 p.m. to a suspicious vehicle complaint at a residence near the intersection of Highway 14 and 626th Avenue. The resident reported seeing a white Tahoe SUV pull into his property and drive behind a shed, according to a press release from the Blue Earth County Sheriff’s office.

The SUV fled into a harvested cornfield when deputies arrived, says the release. Police say a check of the plates indicated the vehicle had been reported stolen out of Jordan.

The pursuit went east on Highway 14, exited near Janesville, and then went north on Waseca Co Rd 70, reaching speeds of around 100 miles per hour, according to the release. Police say the Tahoe then became stuck in a slough in the area of West Elysian Lake Rd and 425th Ave in Waseca County, ending the pursuit.  Egilsson was the only occupant in the vehicle.

According to the release, the SUV started on fire after Egilsson was arrested and spread to the slough. Multiple law enforcement agencies and several fire departments worked to stop the spread of the fire.