Chase Leads to Arrest of Rochester Woman Driving Stolen Pickup

Rochester, MN (KROC-AM News) - A 21-year-old Rochester woman was arrested early today after she was caught behind the wheel of a stolen vehicle after a brief pursuit.

Rochester police say the chase began around 3 AM when an officer on patrol spotted a white pickup truck go over a curb before traveling north in the 600 block of 13th Avenue Southeast on the wrong side of the street. The officer attempted to make a traffic stop, but the driver kept going and the officer followed the pickup east on 4th Street Southeast until he broke off the pursuit when the pickup sped up.

The same officer then spotted the pickup turning into the parking lot at the Rochester Community and Technical College Heintz Center. A total of four Rochester Police squad cars responded to the scene before the officer approached the vehicle. That’s when the driver made another apparent attempt to get away but ended up stuck in a drainage ditch.

A spokesman identified the young woman as Cassandra Jessel. She was arrested on suspicion of vehicle theft, fleeing police, and possession of stolen property. The spokesman noted that she was not intoxicated or under the influence of drugs.

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