Wanted Rochester Man Accused of Fleeing Deputy at 100mph During Snowstorm

Rochester, MN (KROC-AM News)- A wanted Rochester man is now in custody after fleeing law enforcement over the weekend. 

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That’s according to a criminal complaint filed in Olmsted County Court on Tuesday. The alleged high-speed pursuit occurred during the Thanksgiving weekend snow storm. 

Deputies used the suspect’s footprints in the snow to track and ultimately arrest him, the court document says. 

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Charges: Wanted Rochester Man Fled Byron Traffic Stop at 100mph During Thanksgiving Weekend Snowstorm

47-year-old Jesse James Devlaeminck is charged with felony fleeing, gross misdemeanor reckless driving, misdemeanor fleeing an officer on foot and misdemeanor speeding. 

An Olmsted County Sheriff’s Office deputy on patrol saw a vehicle traveling in the incorrect lane on Frontage Rd. NE in Byron shortly before 4:30 Sunday morning. The motorist, later identified as Devlaeminck, nearly caused a crash, the charges say. 

Devlaeminck rapidly accelerated away from the deputy when he activated his squad vehicle’s lights and siren to initiate a traffic stop.

The complaint says the deputy, who was traveling at 80 mph but was losing ground to the suspect vehicle, terminated the pursuit due to the slick road conditions. 

A state trooper found the suspect vehicle in northwest Rochester around 5 a.m. A witness told law enforcement that Devlaeminck had fled the scene on foot after the vehicle became stuck, the complaint says. 

The witness also said Devlaeminck had been traveling at 100mph when he was fleeing the attempted traffic stop, the charges say. Investigators began tracking footprints that were left in the snow. 

About 40 minutes after finding the suspect vehicle, a deputy saw Devlaeminck coming from the back of a home in northwest Rochester. Law enforcement then arrested Devlaeminck, the court document says. 

The complaint says Devlaeminck  had multiple active arrest warrants at the time of the alleged fleeing incident. It does not list what Devlaeminck was wanted for. 

Devlaeminck made his first court appearance on Tuesday. His bail was set at $10,000 and he is due back in court later this month.