Champlin Man Charged After Allegedly Fleeing Police on Interstate 94 in a Stolen Car

(KNSI) — A 37-year-old from Champlin was arrested and is charged after allegedly fleeing from police in a stolen car.

About 11:40 the morning of March 17th, a state trooper was out helping a stalled semi on eastbound Interstate 94 near mile marker 122 when a car, driven by Micah Leonetti, sped past the scene moving from the left lane to the right lane, which was the lane closest to the trooper, according to the criminal complaint. Minnesota’s Ted Foss Move Over Law requires drivers, if they are able, to move over at least one lane for stopped emergency vehicles with their lights flashing. The trooper said he had his lights on and his emergency signal arrow activated, and there was no traffic in the left lane, insinuating that Leonetti could have, and should have, moved over.

The trooper started following Leonetti’s car, which was traveling between 88 and 97 miles an hour, and tried to pull him over near Sauk Centre. The criminal complaint says Leonetti kept driving and sped up, swerving from lane to lane at more than 110 miles an hour.

Another trooper laid out stop sticks, which they say Leonetti drove over, shredding at least one of the car’s tires. The criminal complaint says Leonetti slowed down to about 30 miles an hour and appeared to throw some items out of the driver’s side window before speeding up again and then exiting 94 at mile marker 156 at more than 70 miles an hour. Police say Leonetti drove south on County Road 159 for a bit before a trooper performed a pursuit intervention technique, or PIT maneuver, causing him to drive into the ditch in Avon Township.

The criminal complaint says Leonetti apologized immediately for not stopping, claiming he was going to see his girlfriend in the hospital and admitted he knew about outstanding warrants for his arrest. A check of court records shows an outstanding warrant from Dakota County for receiving stolen property and another out of Sherburne County for theft of a motor vehicle. He also allegedly admitted everything in the car was his, including the “illegal stuff,” and said he had taken approximately 20 Percocet pills during the chase. He was immediately taken to St. Cloud Hospital for treatment and evaluation. During a search of the car, police say they found a glass pipe, hypodermic needles, one blue pill that appeared to be the sedative Alprazolam, and one green pill.

In a sworn statement to police, Leonetti reportedly told investigators he had just sold some catalytic converters to someone in Fargo after buying them for cheap from a “junkie” in Minneapolis. He allegedly admitted he didn’t see the trooper pulled over on the side of the road and was swerving because he must have dozed off. Leonetti also allegedly admitted to seeing the trooper’s emergency lights behind him and wasn’t planning to pull over because he just wanted to get home because his girlfriend had a doctor’s appointment and knew he had warrants. He also claimed he had a traumatic brain injury, and maybe he wasn’t thinking straight because of that.

A check of the license plate also showed that the vehicle had been reported stolen out of Brooklyn Park, according to police. Leonetti claimed he bought the car within the last week from his girlfriend’s neighbor and denied changing the license plates, and denied knowing it was stolen.

Leonetti was charged with fleeing police and vehicle theft. Bail has been set at $30,000.

___