South Dakota woman arrested at Adrian rest area for vehicle theft

Julie Buntjer, The Daily Globe, Worthington, Minn.
·2 min read

Jul. 28—ADRIAN — A Sioux Falls, South Dakota, woman is charged with motor vehicle theft, a felony, in Nobles County Fifth District Court.

Makayla Lynn Wilson, 26, was arrested July 17, following a report of a stalled vehicle blocking the entrance to the Adrian rest area.

According to the law enforcement report, a Minnesota State Trooper found a Dodge Durango with a dealer plate blocking the entrance ramp. The vehicle was unoccupied, littered with trash, melted food and children's clothing.

The trooper proceeded to the rest area and learned that a woman and child exited the Durango and were in the restroom. The pair walked outside and sat at a picnic table as the trooper approached, and Wilson was reportedly uncooperative and argumentative with the trooper, demanding that the child be examined.

Wilson stated she'd borrowed the Durango from a friend, but did not know the name of the friend.

The Durango was determined to have been stolen from an automotive repair shop in Beresford, South Dakota. The owner of the shop said a Dodge Caravan had been abandoned on his lot, adjacent to where the Durango had been parked. The Caravan was registered to Wilson's mother, who had reported it stolen earlier in the day and said she believed Wilson had taken the vehicle. The mother had also reported Wilson as a missing person, and requested a welfare check on the missing child.

The trooper then questioned Wilson, who reportedly stated she stole the Caravan from her mom and, when the service light came on, she drove to Beresford and left it at the dealership. The Durango was open and started with a push button, so she drove it until it ran out of gas at the rest area. Wilson reportedly said she was traveling to North Carolina to see a friend.

Nobles County Child Protection Services took the child into protective custody and Wilson was arrested.

If convicted, Wilson faces a maximum of five years in prison and/or a $10,000 fine.

Note: This article was written based on information reported by local law enforcement agencies. The Globe reminds readers that all individuals are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.