Two Men Cited After Stolen Vehicle Pursuit Ends in Crash and Search Near I-494 and Highway 52
Published: July 26th, 2026 | Last Updated: July 29, 2026 at 8:15 am.
UPDATE: More details have been released following a police pursuit Sunday morning that ended in a crash and an extensive multi-agency search near the I-494 and Highway 52 interchange.
According to South St. Paul Police Chief Brian Wicke, the incident began at approximately 11:30 a.m. on Sunday, July 26, 2026, when officers with the South St. Paul Police Department located a vehicle reported stolen from Hennepin County. The stolen vehicle was parked at the gas pumps of a business on Concord Street near I-494 when officers attempted to take the occupants into custody.
As officers moved in, the vehicle fled the parking lot, drove over a median, and entered westbound I-494 from Concord Street, prompting officers to initiate a pursuit.
Approximately one mile into the pursuit, the driver attempted to negotiate the ramp from westbound I-494 to southbound Highway 52. Police say the vehicle lost control, slid off the roadway, and came to rest in the grassy median.
Three Suspects Fled the Crash
Following the crash, three occupants exited the stolen vehicle and fled on foot in separate directions, prompting a large-scale search involving both ground and aerial resources.
The search brought assistance from several neighboring agencies, including:
Inver Grove Heights Police Department
West St. Paul Police Department
Minnesota State Patrol
Minnesota State Air Patrol
Ramsey County Sheriff's Office K-9 Unit
Woodbury Police Department K-9 Unit
The coordinated search resulted in two of the three suspects being located and taken into custody without incident. The third suspect remains at large, and police say the investigation into that individual is ongoing.
Two Men Identified
The South St. Paul Police Department identified the two individuals taken into custody as:
Derek Sincere Holmes, 21, of South St. Paul, who was cited for:
Tampering with a Motor Vehicle
Fleeing a Peace Officer
Makale Arnell Browning, 25, of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, who was cited for:
Tampering with a Motor Vehicle
Fleeing a Peace Officer
Both men were booked into the Dakota County Jail, cited, and later released from custody. Authorities have not publicly identified the third suspect, who remains outstanding.
Previous Information Corrected
Initial information gathered by Limitless Media from the scene indicated that four suspects had fled the crashed vehicle and that three had been taken into custody. The updated information released by the South St. Paul Police Department clarifies that there were three occupants in the stolen vehicle, two were apprehended, and one remains at large.
Police also confirmed the vehicle had been reported stolen out of Hennepin County, a detail that was not available during the initial breaking news coverage.
Investigation Continues
The investigation remains active as authorities continue working to identify and locate the outstanding suspect. Anyone with information related to the incident is encouraged to contact the South St. Paul Police Department.
As with all criminal cases, the charges cited against the two men are allegations, and they are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
Pictured: Derek Sincere Holmes (left) and Makale Arnell Browning (right). Provided by the Dakota County Jail.
ORIGINAL STORY - INVER GROVE HEIGHTS/SOUTH ST. PAUL, MN: A police pursuit involving an alleged stolen vehicle ended in a crash and a large multi-agency search Sunday afternoon after four suspects fled on foot from the wreckage near the Highway 52 and Interstate 494 interchange.
According to information gathered by Limitless Media News, the incident began at approximately 11:33 a.m. on Sunday, July 26, 2026, when the South St. Paul Police Department was pursuing an alleged stolen vehicle that had reportedly been in the area of Concord Street. The vehicle entered westbound I-494 before crashing approximately one minute later, around 11:34 a.m., on the cloverleaf ramp connecting westbound I-494 to southbound Highway 52.
Following the crash, four alleged suspects exited the vehicle and fled on foot, running northbound from the crash site. A large law enforcement response quickly converged on the area as officers established a perimeter and searched for the fleeing suspects.
Agencies assisting in the search included:
South St. Paul Police Department
Inver Grove Heights Police Department
West St. Paul Police Department
Minnesota State Patrol
Minnesota State Air Patrol
Ramsey County Sheriff's Office
Woodbury Police Department
The extensive search continued for more than an hour before the perimeter was lifted at approximately 12:51 p.m.
Law enforcement officials at the scene confirmed to Limitless Media that three of the four suspects had been located and taken into custody. As of this publication, one suspect remained outstanding, though authorities have not yet released a description. Officials have also not yet confirmed where the vehicle was allegedly stolen from or whether any injuries were reported during the pursuit or subsequent crash.
The investigation remains active, and additional information, including potential criminal charges and the identity of the involved agencies leading the investigation, is expected to be released as it becomes available.
Limitless Media is working to obtain additional details and will provide updates as more information is confirmed.
This is a developing story and will be updated as new information becomes available.
Rough location of crash and suspect search following crash in Inver Grove Heights, MN.
