Rochester Man Charged for Holiday Season Crime Spree, Fleeing Police Enters Guilty Pleas
Rochester, MN (KROC-AM News)- A Rochester man who was charged in a prominent theft case then charged in a fleeing case has pleaded guilty.
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30-year-old Zachary James Bunnell was charged in January for a series of thefts and burglaries that occurred in the Rochester area in December.
He was then alleged to have fled from a Rochester police officer after running a red light in February.
Rochester Man Enters Plea Deals in Theft Case & Fleeing Case
Bunnell was charged with felony counts of third-degree burglary, theft, mail theft, felony fleeing and a gross misdemeanor count of carrying a BB gun in a public place in the two cases.
On Wednesday he entered guilty pleas to the third-degree burglary charge in the theft case and felony fleeing in the other case.
Court records indicate the remaining charges against him in both cases were dismissed in exchange for the guilty pleas.
Van, Hundreds of Pieces of Mail Stolen in Burglary and Theft Case
Bunnell was accused of stealing a van from a Rochester-area storage unit in early December.
Read More: $150K Bail Set for Rochester Man Suspected in Crime Spree
He was then seen with the stolen van during a break-in at a Rochester apartment complex in late December involving the theft of hundreds of pieces of mail, according to the criminal complaint.
The investigating officer estimated that a couple hundred pieces of mail were stolen, the court document says. The apartment manager also reported that five electronic devices valued at about $5,000 were stolen from the office.
Fleeing While on Bail
After posting $150,000 bail in the theft case, Bunnell was accused of fleeing from a Rochester police officer who attempted to stop him for running a red light in downtown Rochester on February 1.
Read More: Rochester Man Who Escaped Hospital After Arrest for Fleeing Police Captured
The vehicle he was driving became disabled after he struck a concrete construction barrier then metal sign.
Bunnell was arrested and taken to St. Mary’s Hospital where he was alleged to have left the hospital while receiving care.
Bunnell is scheduled to be sentenced for both cases next month.
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Gallery Credit: Tara Holley
