Woman Charged With Felony Motor Vehicle Theft Following Mendota Heights Investigation
MENDOTA HEIGHTS: A 22-year-old woman has been charged in Dakota County with two felony theft offenses after authorities allege she was connected to a stolen Nissan before taking another vehicle from a Mendota Heights apartment complex without the owner's permission.
Saniya Jade Powe is charged with felony theft of a motor vehicle and felony motor vehicle use without consent, according to a Dakota County criminal complaint.
The charges stem from an incident on February 24, 2026.
According to the complaint, Mendota Heights police officers responded at approximately 3 a.m. to an apartment building on the 1800 block of Eagle Ridge Road to assist another law enforcement agency with a stolen vehicle investigation.
Officers located a silver Nissan that had reportedly been stolen out of Minneapolis.
Surveillance video from the apartment complex's parking garage allegedly showed Powe getting out of the Nissan and walking around the garage. The complaint alleges she was then seen removing items from the Nissan and placing them into a red Jeep parked in the garage.
According to the probable cause statement, Powe then moved the Nissan out of the garage before leaving the apartment complex in the Jeep.
The owner of the Jeep told authorities he did not know Powe and had not given her permission to take the vehicle, the complaint states.
Later that day, authorities allegedly observed Powe driving the Jeep on roadway cameras. At approximately 11:12 p.m., she was arrested just outside the vehicle, according to the complaint.
Authorities reported finding a coat belonging to Powe inside the Jeep, with the vehicle's keys inside a coat pocket. The complaint states that the coat and shoes matched clothing Powe was allegedly seen wearing in surveillance footage from the apartment complex.
The complaint also states that DNA swabs were collected from the steering wheel and gear shift of the stolen Nissan. Authorities allege the major female DNA profile obtained from those samples matched Powe.
Prosecutors further allege Powe has previous convictions involving motor vehicle theft or unauthorized vehicle use and state that they intend to seek admission of that history as Spreigl evidence. Whether such evidence is admissible would ultimately be determined by the court.
Each of the two current charges carries a maximum possible sentence of five years in prison and/or a $10,000 fine under the statutes cited in the complaint.
The allegations contained in a criminal complaint are accusations. Powe is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.