WILLMAR -- Luis Gerardo Nieves, 16, of Willmar, pleaded guilty Monday to a felony charge of motor vehicle theft and a gross misdemeanor charge of theft for his role in an Oct. 25 incident that included stealing a vehicle, fleeing from Willmar police officers and causing a gas leak that required the partial evacuation of the Regency West trailer park.
Nieves entered the plea before District Judge Michael J. Thompson in Kandiyohi County District Court. As part of a plea agreement, another felony for fleeing a peace officer in a motor vehicle and a misdemeanor for reckless driving will be dismissed. His dispositional hearing is Dec. 19.
Felony charges against juveniles aged 16 or 17 are public record.
Nieves and Darien Cole Frank, 19, of New London, were both charged in the case. Frank faces one felony charge of theft plus two misdemeanor charges of motor vehicle tampering. His next court appearance is Dec. 3.
According to the charges against the pair, Willmar police officers were called around 1:20 a.m. Oct. 25 to the 800 block of Northwood Court Northwest. The caller reported a robbery, which was determined to be a case of theft from a motor vehicle. The two suspects had fled in a blue van headed northbound toward the county fairgrounds.
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The residents reporting the crime said the suspects took a $700 speaker from a vehicle.
Two Willmar police officers, in two separate squad cars, observed the van heading westbound on Gorton Avenue and pursued it to Regency West. The officers pursued the vehicle for at least 3 minutes inside the trailer park.
The vehicle went through yards and a field at speeds of 30 to 35 mph. The chase ended when the driver, identified as Nieves, lost control of the van. The van spun out and struck one of the police squad cars.
During the pursuit, the vehicle struck a gas meter on an empty lot at the trailer park, causing a leak, according to information from the Police Department. Approximately half of the trailer park's residences were evacuated until about 4 a.m. that morning. No injuries were reported.
After he was taken into custody, Nieves told officers he was walking around looking for open vehicles and found the van with the keys inside. He said he then took the vehicle. He picked up Frank on Seventh Street and said Frank took the speaker from the second vehicle.
Frank refused to speak to officers.
The van was identified as stolen from the 400 block of 13th Street Northwest.
