ANOKA, Minn. - A St. Francis man is charged with burglary and fleeing police in connection with a high speed chase Wednesday that reached speeds of well over 100 miles per hour.
Prosecutors say a Blaine homeowner returned from shopping around 1:15 p.m. and caught 34-year-old Randy Thomas Vaught in the act of burglarizing her residence. She observed Vaught running from her home, jumping into a silver pickup and fleeing the scene.
The woman called 911 and responding officers quickly spotted the suspect's truck and began pursuit. A squad attempted to pull the suspect over but he accelerated and fled westbound on Bunker Lake Boulevard, at times reaching speeds of 111 mph. During the chase officers say Vaught rear-ended one vehicle, crashed head-on into another and sideswiped a third. The car that was hit head on had a mother and 2-year-old child inside.
Several squad cars were also badly damaged while trying to perform PIT maneuvers during the chase, which lasted for several miles. Eventually officers used three or four squads to stop the speeding truck and arrest Vaught.
The victim was brought to the scene where she positively identified Vaught's truck as the one she saw leaving her house.
"This dangerous situation put our community and law enforcement in harm's way and we are thankful that no one was killed during this incident," said Anoka County Attorney Tony Palumbo.
