A Champlin man faces a felony charge after fleeing police in a motor vehicle following an early-morning break-in at an Eden Prairie vape shop, according to a criminal complaint filed in Hennepin County District Court.
Taylin James Kelly-Bursch, 19, is charged with one count of fleeing a peace officer in a motor vehicle. If convicted, the charge carries a maximum penalty of three years and one day in prison and/or a $5,000 fine.
The incident occurred at about 3 a.m. on Sunday, Jan. 5, when police responded to an intrusion alarm at a tobacco and vape shop in the 500 block of Prairie Center Drive. Officers found the shop’s front door shattered by a brick and saw a silver Honda Civic parked nearby with its engine running, the complaint states.
As officers approached in a marked police vehicle with emergency lights activated, Kelly-Bursch, who was in the driver’s seat, turned off the headlights and drove away. He initially entered another business parking lot before fleeing down Franlo Road, the complaint states. The chase ended in a cul-de-sac, where officers arrested Kelly-Bursch.
A juvenile passenger in the vehicle was captured on surveillance video breaking the shop’s glass with a brick. Officers searching the vehicle reportedly found 1.5 alprazolam pills, a controlled substance, in Kelly-Bursch’s pocket. They also discovered two replica firearms – one near the juvenile and the other in the front passenger door, according to the complaint.
In a post-Miranda statement, Kelly-Bursch told police he met the juvenile that night and agreed to drive him home for $15. He said the juvenile mentioned needing to make several “plays,” which Kelly-Bursch understood to mean drug sales.
Kelly-Bursch added that he fled because the juvenile struck him with what felt like a metal gun and he feared being shot, though police noted no visible injuries, the complaint states. He also admitted the pills found in his pocket were Xanax and that he did not have a prescription for them.
Kelly-Bursch posted $20,000 bail on Jan. 8, court records show. His next court appearance is scheduled for Feb. 4.
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