Darryl Luce, 41 of Elk River, faces felony drug charges after his arrest early Monday.

Tuesday, September 26, 2000

Darryl Luce, 41 of Elk River, faces felony drug charges after his arrest early Monday.

According to an Austin Police Department report, Luce was arrested after he stopped to gas up his van at the Kwik Trip station at the intersection of Oakland Avenue West and 12th Street SW.

Two Austin police department officers observed Luce driving a 1989 GMC van with a cracked windshield. When they ran a check of the license plate; it came back canceled.

Luce was questioned by officers after pumping gas. He told officers he was en route to Elk River after visiting St. Ansgar, Iowa and denied the officers permission to search the vehicle.

While the interview took place in the parking lot of the Kwik Trip station, Freeborn County authorities broadcast an attempt to locate an armed robbery suspect from Albert Lea, and Luce matched the description given.

Luce heard the broadcast and said he was going into the Kwik Trip store to call a lawyer and became, according to the officers’ account, "very excitable, nervous and agitated."

When they asked Luce to stop, the man started running, but fell to the pavement. Luce got up and attempted to run away, but was grabbed by the officers, who wrestled him to the ground where he was maced and subdued.

On Luce’s person, they found a baggie of marijuana in a pants pocket. In the van, they found a large sandwich bag containing three individually wrapped baggies also containing a substance believed to be marijuana. In all, the marijuana seized amounted to 21.7 grams, according to the police report.

He faces charges of felony possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, possession of marijuana in a motor vehicle and obstructing legal process.

Robbery suspects sought

Texaco Food Mart reported the theft of a canister of donations to a local charity.

According to an Austin Police Department report, a Texaco Food Mart clerk believes two African-American males, who were in the store are suspects.

The males exited a car which drove up to the business along 21st Street SE (U.S. Highway 218 South) and entered the convenience store. When the clerk left the counter area for a moment, he returned to see the pair hurriedly leaving the store. They got into the car and drove away.

The incident occurred at 10:33 p.m. Monday, according to the report.