Phillips convicted in car chase case

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A River Falls man who led Minnesota and Wisconsin sheriff’s deputies on a chase in a reported stolen car in January was convicted of driving without consent Monday morning.

Loren Hagen Phillips, 42, pleaded guilty to a amended charge in a plea agreement. Judge Scott Needham sentenced Phillips to probation for two years and ordered him to pay court costs, maintain absolute sobriety, submit to random testing and follow up with treatment recommendations.

The criminal complaint said sheriff’s deputies were called to a town of Troy residence on a domestic complaint at 4:43 a.m. Jan. 12. A call from dispatch said the boyfriend involved had stolen a vehicle and was possibly headed to Minnesota.

Washington County, Minn., authorities located the car and gave chase back across the Stillwater bridge into Wisconsin where the vehicle crashed near County V and 150th Street in the town of St. Joseph at about 5 a.m.

The emergency response team (SWAT) and police dogs from St. Croix County were called in to search for Phillips who remained at large until he was picked up in Minnesota by Ramsey County officers Jan 14.

Phillips waived extradition into Minnesota March 13. Court records said he was wanted in Washington Count on a felony fleeing a peace officer in a vehicle charge.

Tags: crime and courts, news, crime