Police: Vehicle occupants stole from Osseo store before fatal Brooklyn Park crash
BROOKLYN PARK, Minn. — Police in Brooklyn Park say a woman died in a crash shortly after she allegedly stole from a nearby auto parts store.
The Brooklyn Park Police Department responded to a single-vehicle rollover on County Road 81 near Greenhaven Drive around 12:33 p.m. on Sunday. Police say 911 callers also reported a man running from the vehicle toward the Lakeland Avenue Walmart.
Officers arrived to the scene of the crash to find a vehicle upside down in the culvert. No occupants of the vehicle were located inside, but officers suspected there could have been people trapped underneath.
A tow truck responded and moved the vehicle enough for responders to gain access underneath. BPPD says officers found a woman who was "obviously deceased." She has been identified as Kaiyla Rae Phillips, 25, of Minneapolis.
MORE NEWS: Authorities pull unresponsive 4-year-old from Minneapolis pond
While investigating the incident, police say another 911 call reported the vehicle involved in the accident had recently fled from the Napa Auto Parts in Osseo after the occupants allegedly stole merchandise from the store.
Officers located the man seen running from the scene of the crash. They determined he was a passenger in the crashed vehicle and involved in the theft. He was treated for minor injuries and then booked at the Hennepin County Jail on multiple outstanding warrants.
The man involved in the incident could face charges after further investigation, BPPD said.
Police determined the vehicle involved in the crash has been previously reported as stolen to the Minneapolis Police Department.
The incident is under investigation.