2 Teens Charged After Stolen SUV Bursts Into Flames During Mendota Heights Police Chase

HASTINGS, Minn. (WCCO) -- Two teenagers face criminal charges after allegedly stealing two vehicles, leading police on a high-speed chase, then fleeing on foot after one of the vehicles caught fire.

The Dakota County Attorney's Office says the teens are "charged with multiple felonies" in connection to events earlier this week in Mendota Heights. The exact charges they face haven't been released, nor have their identities due to their ages.

VIDEO: 5 Arrested After Fleeing Stolen Vehicle At Gas Station; Vehicle Then Catches On Fire

Police say it all began on Monday afternoon, when officers were called to a Mendota Heights residence on a report of a car theft involving a Tesla Model X. The five suspects -- all Ramsey County residents between the ages of 14 and 17 -- had been seen traveling in a blue Hyundai at the time, and an officer spotted it while heading to the call and tried to pull it over.

The driver of the Hyundai sped off, and during the ensuing pursuit the vehicle reached speeds of up to 85 mph "without stopping." Police say passengers were seen throwing items out of the vehicle during the chase, including a woman's purse that contained the key to the stolen Tesla, which was later found abandoned.

The Hyundai, which investigators later determined had been stolen in St. Paul, began smoking as the driver exited Highway 13 in Mendota Heights, and the driver soon abandoned it -- without putting it in park -- in a gas station parking lot off the highway near Victoria Road. The Hyundai then rolled into a Jeep, and soon burst into flames.

The five passengers were seen on a MnDOT traffic camera scattering away from the scene on foot. Three were soon caught by police, and the other two were found and arrested later with the help of a Minnesota State Patrol helicopter.

The three teens who weren't charged were released back into the custody of their parents. The two teens charged made their first juvenile court appearance Wednesday morning in Hastings. They are being held at the city's Juvenile Service Center.