For what might be described as a relatively brief crime spree, a North Dakota man and a 17-year-old juvenile have recently been arrested and charged with several offenses. The adult has been accused of 19 charges, including more than 10 felony charges, while the charges against the juvenile have yet to be reported.
The alleged criminal activity began shortly before 6:00 p.m. recently, when the juvenile allegedly knocked a woman down and stole her purse. The juvenile then got into a vehicle that was allegedly being driven by a 37-year-old man. Police pursued the vehicle and they were initially stopped in one county by a North Dakota trooper on Interstate 94 but sped away from the officer.
Police eventually caught up to and arrested the driver and the juvenile in another county after the vehicle they were in apparently went off the road and they tried to run away. A later search of the vehicle allegedly revealed two guns and a small amount of drugs.
This case is interesting because in the course of a single alleged robbery and an apparent minor traffic violation stop, what transpired was a police chase that ultimately ended in, among other counts, felony weapons charges and drug charges. It is apparent in this instance how quickly these charges can mount on the accused.
The juvenile was taken to a North Dakota youth correctional facility. Aside from his age and his alleged involvement in the robbery, no other details have been released about him.
It is not unusual for authorities to file as many criminal charges as they can when a person is arrested, as this may increase the likelihood that a person will plead guilty to at least one. However, that is why it can be helpful to speak with a defense attorney when facing multiple charges, especially when the charges are serious felony allegations. An attorney may be able to pursue the reduction or dismissal of some or all of the charges to minimize a person’s exposure to punishment.
Source: WDAY, “Hazen man faces 13 felony charges in Stutsman, Barnes counties,” Chris Olson, April 30, 2014
