2 suspects charged in 100 mph chase

Published 11:39 am Wednesday, August 3, 2011

Police arrested and charged the remaining suspect in a 100 mph chase and Walmart theft that occurred early Saturday morning.

Duellman

Natasha Duellman, 34, of Plainview, was arrested Monday and charged in Mower County District Court Tuesday. Her first appearance in court has not been scheduled yet. Beth Marie Hansen, 25, of Rochester, was arrested following Saturday’s chase and was also charged Tuesday.

Duellman faces charges of felony theft, fifth-degree drug possession and fleeing a peace officer by means other than a motor vehicle. Hansen has been charged with fifth-degree drug possession, theft, fleeing a peace officer in a motor vehicle, fleeing a peace officer by means other than a motor vehicle, fourth-degree assault, DWI and driving after revocation.

Hansen

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According to a court complaint, Austin police received a report of two women leaving Walmart without paying for more than $2,000 of electronics items, including a flat-screen television, around 3:30 a.m. Saturday.

An officer heading west on Interstate 90 spotted the women’s vehicle and pursued.

Officers used lights and sirens in an attempt to stop the vehicle at mile marker 172, but the car continued to exit 166 and onto County Road 46. The SUV eventually hit spike strips laid on the road by a Mower County sheriff’s deputy. The strips punctured the right, front tire of the vehicle, but the suspects continued down the 2700 block of West Oakland Avenue at 80 mph, according to a court complaint.

The chase went through town, with the women eventually driving over a curb and into a large field near Fourth Street SE.

Duellman and Hansen allegedly ran from the vehicle and into the woods, where officers lost sight of Duellman.

Hansen was found in a grove of trees and was bit by the police K-9 before being arrested. As Hansen was being led out of the field, she allegedly spit in an officer’s face, causing him to use pepper spray.

Police seized the missing electronics from the vehicle. They also found a digital scale, a methamphetamine pipe, a vial testing positive for cocaine and two containers with marijuana residue, the court complaint states.

Hansen told police Duellman gave her pills, possibly ephedrine, that caused her to “black out.” She denied knowledge of being in the Austin Walmart Saturday morning. Duellman told police they were likely under the influence of meth while in Walmart, and during the police chase Hansen, who was driving, allegedly ingested meth out of Duellman’s hand. Hansen’s license is revoked for two past convictions of driving under the influence, according to the court complaint.

Duellman told police she and Hansen spent the hours before the chase shopping in Rochester, as it was Hansen’s goal to “blow up” her checking account and report her checks stolen. While Duellman pushed the cart full of electronics to the car in the Walmart parking lot, Hansen reportedly told a cashier she forgot her checkbook in her car and needed to get it. At that point, the women allegedly left without paying.

Hansen will enter her plea in Mower County District Court Aug. 11.