Running from Runnings: Three arrested for shoplifting, fleeing store

Jackie Jahfetson, The Dickinson Press, N.D.
·2 min read

May 11—The Dickinson Police Department arrested three individuals Monday afternoon and are being charged with a variety of sanctions for allegedly shoplifting thousands of dollars of merchandise from Running's Farm and Fleet and fleeing the scene.

All three suspects were transported to the City of Dickinson Public Safety Center for questioning, according to a Dickinson Police Department press release. Investigators concluded and made arrests on the following: Shane Joseph Wentz, 47, of Bismarck, for fleeing in a motor vehicle, reckless driving, possession of marijuana and theft of property; Neil Adams McGinnis, 56, of Bismarck, for possession of meth paraphernalia and criminal conspiracy; Elizabeth Lara Ayala-Aguilar, 36, of St. Paul, Minn., for a probation violation warrant out of Burleigh County.

The incident began at approximately 2 p.m. The Dickinson Police Department was notified via a call from employees providing suspect and vehicle descriptions.

"Within minutes, an officer on patrol spotted the vehicle fleeing the area at a high rate of speed. The officer attempted to follow but lost visual near an apartment complex on Dickinson's east side," the press release stated.

Fellow law enforcement agencies "converged on the area, a female matching the description of one of the suspects was found walking near the complex and was detained," according to the press release.

Meanwhile, other officers located the vehicle abandoned approximately a block away. The Dickinson Police Department deployed its K-9 unit, performing a foot track for the other two suspects. With the help of K-9 "Kalo," one male suspect was found hiding in a tree line approximately two blocks away from the vehicle.

"Citizens of the apartment complex near the scene provided a tip on the location of the final suspect. They reported seeing an unfamiliar male sitting on the patio on the opposite side of the complex. Officers converged in that area and subsequently detained the remaining suspect, about 30 minutes after the initial call," the press release stated.

Wentz, McGinnis and Ayala-Aguilar are currently in custody at the Southwest Multi-County Correctional Center and await bond hearings. Further charges are potentially pending or will be adjusted based on the determination of the Stark County State's Attorney's Office.

"The Dickinson Police Department would like to thank the Stark County Sheriff's Office, North Dakota Highway Patrol and the North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigations for their assistance in quickly locating and apprehending the individuals involved," the press release concluded.