Crime briefs: Sunday chase leads to arrest; Rochester man arrested for arson

Post-Bulletin, Rochester, Minn.
·2 min read

May 10—A 10- to 15-minute high-speed chase Sunday in Northeast Rochester led to felony charges for a 24-year-old driver.

Langston Mercedes of Rochester was arrested on charges of felony fleeing in a motor vehicle, fleeing on foot, driving without a driver's license and numerous traffic violations, according to Olmsted County Sheriff's Capt. Scott Behrns.

About 4 a.m. Sunday, an Olmsted County deputy reportedly spotted a dark green Jeep on U.S. Highway 52 near 85th Street in Rochester traveling at 93 mph.

With the stationary radar reading, the deputy attempted to make a traffic stop near 65th Street, but the driver left the highway and headed east on 65th Street to Overland Drive Northwest.

At one point the driver left the roadway near 18th Avenue Northwest, but returned to the street to head west and lead the deputy on a chase that ended at an apartment complex in the 1900 block of 18 1/2 Avenue Northwest, where the driver fled into the building.

The Jeep's license plate led deputies to Mercedes. — An 18-year-old Rochester man faces arson charges following two Saturday fires in an apartment building in Southeast Rochester.

Lawrence Johnson was arrested on second-degree arson charges, according to Rochester Police Capt. Casey Moilanen

Rochester police responded to two fires Saturday, one at 4:35 a.m. and the other at 1:21 p.m., at 897 16th Ave SE. In both cases, the fires were started in dryers, which filled the building's hallways with smoke.

Moilanen said the fires were easily extinguished.

Moilanen said Johnson was allegedly spotted at the building during both fires.

Additionally, he said witnesses alleged Johnson had been seen earlier attempting to break into cars in the building's parking lot, which resulted in a confrontation with tenants.

Johnson reportedly told police he was cutting through the property the first time he was seen at the apartment building, but had not been attempting to break into cars and he denied involvement in the fires.