Man Sentenced To 8 Years For Brutal Elk River Home Invasion, Police Chase
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- A 31-year-old Brooklyn Center man has been sentenced to 8 years in prison in connection to a brutal Elk River home invasion and high-speed police chase in February.
On Friday, Ryan Thomas Woehler received his 96-month sentence after being convicted of first-degree burglary and kidnapping.
On Feb. 13 shortly after 9 a.m., Elk River Police were called to a possible home invasion on the 18500 block of Quinty Court. Police say two men broke into the home, beat the husband with a heavy object and tied up the wife, who managed to free herself and call police.
When authorities arrived to the scene, they found the husband hurt outside the home. He was taken to a hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
A description of the suspect vehicle, a red Cadillac, was sent to area agencies, and Rogers Police spotted a vehicle matching the description heading eastbound on Interstate 94 near Highway 101.
Watch High-Speed Chase Video
"The officer began following them. I think they realized they were being followed. They made a U-turn on 94 and began traveling westbound in the eastbound lanes on 94," Elk River Police Chief Brad Rolfe said.
The chase reached speeds close to 100 miles per hour before police said the vehicle crashed in the area of County Road 81 and Brockton Lane in Rogers. Both the State Patrol and Rogers Police say it's incredibly fortunate that no one was hurt in the dramatic chase.
The two suspects, later identified as Aaron Ray Martin and Woehler, were taken into custody and police say they are not cooperating. Police say the home invasion was not random.