GOLDEN VALLEY, Minn. - Two 18-year-old inmates that were being held at the Rice County Jail Annex escaped through a window, stole a vehicle, crashed and stole another vehicle before being arrested by authorities, according to police.
Austyn Daniel Gates, of Faribault, and Austen Michael Chytracek, of Northfield, are back in custody, after crashing the second stolen vehicle in Freeborn County.
According to the Rice County Sheriff's Office, the two inmates escaped around 1 a.m. Wednesday from the jail annex, located at 2119 Highway 60 W. in Faribault.
Gates and Chytracek allegedly escaped through a window at the annex, climbed a perimeter fence outside the building and ran north.
About 20 minutes later, a vehicle was reported stolen from the 600 block of Western Avenue. Two sets of footprints were tracked by police from the Annex to the location where the vehicle was stolen.
At 1:36 a.m., authorities located the stolen vehicle driving south on I-35 in Owatonna. A short chase ensued before the vehicle crashed and the two inmates fled into the woods.
The inmates then allegedly stole another vehicle from the 2200 block of 78th Street SW and fled southbound.
Around 4:20 a.m., Freeborn County Sheriff's deputies arrested the inmates after they crashed the second stolen vehicle on 263rd Street, between Heartland and Albert Lea. The two men were located near a residence where the vehicle crashed.
Chytracek was serving a 60-day sentence for criminal sexual conduct.
Gates was being held for possession of stolen property and traffic offenses. He also has outstanding warrants from Hennepin County and Carver County for burglary.
