Man tried to evade police by using Wite-Out to change stolen car's license plate, sheriff's office says
An alleged car thief unsuccessfully tried to evade police in the Twin Cities by using Wite-Out to change the appearance of the vehicle's license plate.
The Ramsey County Sheriff's Office says a 20-year-old man stole a 2021 Honda CRV and used Wite-Out to turn an "L" on the license plate into an "I".
However, the sheriff's office says a deputy's automatic license plate reader was "smarter than his arts and crafts skills."
As the deputy attempted to make a traffic stop, the man fled in the stolen vehicle northbound on Interstate 35W before going eastbound on County Road I in Shoreview, where he allegedly tossed a gun out the car's window.
Approximately a mile later, the sheriff's office says the deputy performed a PIT maneuver on the suspect's vehicle, causing it to crash.
No serious injuries were reported and the man was taken into custody.
Authorities say the 20-year-old had active warrants for arrest in Hennepin County for felony second-degree assault and another in Crow Wing County for felony threats of violence.
He is now charged in Ramsey County with illegal possession of a firearm, fleeing police in a motor vehicle, receiving stolen property and possessing a firearm with an altered serial number.
