The Complainant having reviewed the applicable reports believes the following facts to be true: On or about December 3, 2025, at 11:49 PM, an officer was on patrol in the area of Maryland Avenue and Virginia Street in Saint Paul, Ramsey County. The officer observed a black Jeep Compass (MN LIC HUW217) driving on Maryland Avenue. A routine license plate check revealed that there was an active warrant for the registered owner of the vehicle. The officer began following the vehicle and observed that its taillights were not on, although they had been on when the officer first saw the vehicle.
The officer conducted a traffic stop and identified the driver as James Joseph CASAREZ [DOB REDACTED], the defendant herein. The defendant was not the registered owner of the vehicle. He stated there was an issue with the taillights after getting work done on the vehicle. The officer found that the defendant's license status is canceled as inimical to public safety. The defendant acknowledged that he should not have been driving. The defendant has a pending charge for Driving After Cancellation - Inimical to Public Safety, with a date of offense of December 1, 2025 (court file ••-CR-••-••••).
