UPDATE: 19-Year-Old Charged After Allegedly Stealing Vehicle from Dakota County Courthouse, Leading High-Speed Pursuit
Published: April 29, 2026 | Last Updated: May 1, 2026 at 9:45 PM.
UPDATE: A 19-year-old St. Paul man is now facing multiple felony charges following a chaotic sequence of events that began just after his reported release from custody and ended with a high-speed, multi-agency pursuit across Dakota County.
According to a criminal complaint filed in Dakota County District Court, 19-year-old MarKeith Rayquan Jackson has been charged with four felony counts:
Theft of a Motor Vehicle
Fleeing a Peace Officer in a Motor Vehicle
Attempted Theft of a Motor Vehicle
Theft from a Person
Incident Began at Dakota County Courthouse
The incident unfolded around 1:24 p.m. on April 29, 2026, in the parking lot of the Dakota County Courthouse, shortly after Jackson had been reportedly released from jail, for which we are still working to gather more information.
According to court documents, officers with the Hastings Police Department were dispatched to a report of a vehicle theft in progress. Investigators say the first victim was walking to her vehicle when Jackson allegedly approached, entered the passenger side, and then moved into the driver’s seat in an apparent attempt to steal the vehicle. That attempt was unsuccessful, and he fled the scene on foot.
Second Victim Targeted Moments Later
Just moments later, a second victim reported she had stopped at a stop sign within the same parking lot when Jackson allegedly entered her vehicle, grabbed her purse, and fled.
The victim exited her vehicle and yelled for him to return it. Authorities say Jackson then returned, got into the driver’s seat, and drove away, successfully stealing the vehicle.
Witnesses at the courthouse parking lot corroborated both victims’ accounts, according to the complaint.
High-Speed Pursuit Across Dakota County
Law enforcement tracked the stolen vehicle using the victim’s iPhone, which remained inside the stolen purse. Deputies with the Dakota County Sheriff’s Office located the vehicle traveling east on County Road 42 near Highway 3 in Rosemount, Minnesota. When a deputy attempted a traffic stop, the vehicle fled, heading northbound on Highway 52.
According to the complaint, speeds exceeded 100 miles per hour, with the suspect at times using the shoulder to pass other vehicles. Due to safety concerns, the pursuing deputy eventually terminated the chase.
Pursuit Ends in Eagan
The vehicle was later located in Eagan, where authorities say it was being driven erratically and running red lights, fleeing from officers once again. Law enforcement ultimately conducted a maneuver to box in the vehicle and end the pursuit in the parking lot of a business in the 1600 block of Cliff Road in Burnsville. The suspect was taken into custody after briefly attempting to flee on foot.
Authorities reported minor damage to the stolen vehicle during the stop.
The victim’s iPhone, valued at approximately $800, was not recovered and is believed to have been thrown from the vehicle during the pursuit.
Multi-Agency Response
The incident involved a coordinated response from multiple agencies, including:
Hastings Police Department (involved in the investigation of the vehicle theft, but not the pursuit)
Dakota County Sheriff’s Office
Rosemount, Eagan, and Burnsville Police Departments
Minnesota State Patrol, including air support
Bail Set, Conditions Imposed
During Jackson’s first court appearance, the prosecution recommended that bail be set at $50,000 without conditions and $40,000 with conditions, and the judge set the interim conditions as such. As of the writing of this article, Jackson remains in custody at Dakota County Jail and has not posted bail.
His Omnibus Hearing is set for May 14, 2026, at 1:30 PM, where the judge will officially set his bail.
As with all criminal cases, Jackson is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
Provided by the Dakota County Jail.
ORIGINAL STORY - DAKOTA COUNTY, MINNESOTA - Hastings Police have confirmed to us that a 19-year-old suspect who was allegedly just released from the Dakota County Jail and allegedly stole a vehicle from the facility on Wednesday afternoon triggered a multi-agency pursuit across the Twin Cities south metro.
Authorities say the incident began in Hastings shortly after the individual’s release, before 1:40 PM, when the suspect allegedly stole a purse from the passenger seat of an occupied running vehicle with a lone occupant/driver, and ran. The driver of the vehicle confronted the suspect, the suspect ran past the driver, entered the vehicle, and fled the area. Hastings Police have confirmed they were not involved in the pursuit of the vehicle.
Pursuit Spans Multiple Cities
Following the theft, law enforcement initiated a pursuit that stretched across several Dakota County communities, including Rosemount, Eagan, and ultimately into Burnsville.
The pursuit ended in the 1600 block of Cliff Road in Burnsville around 2:30 PM, where authorities say the suspect stopped the vehicle and attempted to flee on foot. Officers quickly apprehended the individual without further incident.
Large Law Enforcement Response
Multiple agencies were involved in the coordinated response. The ones we can confirm at this time include:
Hastings Police Department (involved in the investigation, but not the pursuit)
Rosemount Police Department
Eagan Police Department
Burnsville Police Department
Dakota County Sheriff's Office
Minnesota State Patrol, including air support
Officials confirmed that no injuries or crashes were reported during the pursuit, despite it spanning multiple jurisdictions.
According to the Hastings Police Department, they intend to book the 19-year-old suspect for Theft of a Motor Vehicle, Theft from a Motor Vehicle, Driving After Revocation, and Disorderly Conduct. Any additional charges for Fleeing in a Motor Vehicle or otherwise will come from any of the other police agencies involved in the actual pursuit, according to the Hastings Police Department.
Investigation Ongoing
This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.
Written by: Will Wight
