UPDATE: Mendota Heights Burglary Leads to Multi-County Pursuit and Arrest; Suspect Charged with Three Felonies
MENDOTA HEIGHTS, MINNESOTA—We have an update on the burglary case in Mendota Heights that led to a dramatic multi-county pursuit and the filing of felony charges against a repeat offender with a lengthy criminal history. Original Story: Multi-County Police Pursuit Ends in Minneapolis Arrest After Mendota Heights Burglary.
According to a criminal complaint filed October 1, 2025, in Dakota County District Court, Cody Richard Pitkin, 29, of Fridley, is charged with:
Felony Theft (Motor Vehicle Use Without Consent)
Felony Fleeing a Peace Officer in a Motor Vehicle
Felony Escape from Custody (Being Held on Felony)
Incident Details
On September 29, Mendota Heights Police responded to a burglary report in the 1900 block of Crown Point Drive in Mendota Heights. A resident told officers that someone had entered her home without permission and her 2024 Subaru Forester had been stolen. Officers attempted to stop it in eastern Dakota County, but the vehicle evaded officers. Using a tracking app, the vehicle was located near a casino in Prairie Island, where officers attempted to stop it.
Instead, the driver fled, sparking a two-hour pursuit that crossed multiple jurisdictions, including Dakota, Ramsey, and Hennepin counties, as well as a brief period in Washington County. Police reported the suspect drove recklessly at high speeds, passed vehicles on the shoulder, and at times traveled into oncoming traffic.
A Minnesota State Trooper, who was able to get a look at the driver, said he was a white male with facial hair, wearing an orange cap and sunglasses. The chase ended in Minneapolis when Pitkin allegedly abandoned the Subaru and fled on foot in the area of East 36th Street and Minnehaha Avenue. A perimeter was set up in the area. Officers searching the area noted a male subject who appeared to match the earlier description from the State Trooper, and the man was stopped by officers and taken into custody without incident. A K9 team was used to locate items linked to him, including Subaru keys, sunglasses, and the orange hat, near an apartment complex where Pitkin was last seen walking.
The incident involved a wide range of responding agencies, including police from Mendota Heights, Inver Grove Heights, Hastings, Prairie Island, and Minneapolis, as well as deputies from Goodhue and Ramsey counties and troopers from the Minnesota State Patrol. Thankfully, no injuries were reported in the burglary or during the pursuit.
Rough location, suspect abandoned vehicle, and was arrested.
Pitkin was taken into custody and transported to the Mendota Heights Police Department. However, while still in handcuffs and being escorted to a squad car for transfer to jail, he reportedly bolted into a wooded area. Officers gave chase and apprehended him after he tripped.
The Dakota County Attorney’s Office requested bail be set at $40,000 without conditions or $30,000 with conditions, citing Pitkin as a flight risk given his attempt to escape custody and his history of fleeing police. Ultimately, the judge set bail at $40,000 without conditions and $20,000 with conditions.
Criminal Record
Court records show that Pitkin has a lengthy criminal history spanning a decade, with at least 10 felony convictions. His past felonies include multiple counts of burglary, theft, receiving stolen property, forgery, and fleeing law enforcement. He has also been convicted of providing false information to police, disorderly conduct, domestic abuse no-contact order violations, and numerous drug-related offenses, including 5th-degree possession and DWI involving controlled substances.
This pattern of repeat offenses highlights Pitkin’s long-standing involvement in property crimes, drug activity, and attempts to evade law enforcement.
Provided by Dakota County Jail.
Written by: Will Wight
