Jury Convicts Woman on Felony Charge For Fleeing Rochester Police

Rochester, MN (KROC-AM News) - A Twin Cities area woman has been found guilty of a felony charge connected to a vehicle pursuit in Rochester two years ago.

31-year-old Mickela Joy Vrendenburg was charged last year after she allegedly fled from Rochester police officers in September 2022 when they went to a Rochester address associated with her to serve a felony arrest warrant and observed a vehicle leaving the residence with a malfunctioning taillight. An officer then attempted to stop the vehicle, but Vrenenburg kept driving and allegedly accelerated to around 50 mph in a residential area of southeast Rochester.

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According to the criminal complaint, officers involved in the pursuit witnessed the fleeing vehicle run through stop signs and drive on the wrong side of the road. The officers then called off the pursuit, citing her driving conduct and the danger it was posing to the community.

She was originally charged with a felony count of fleeing police and a misdemeanor count of reckless driving. The reckless driving charge was dismissed before her case went to trial last week in Olmsted County Court.

The jury that heard the case returned a guilty verdict to the felony fleeing police charge last week. Her sentencing hearing has not been scheduled.