On October 25, 2025 at approximately 0744 hours, Oakdale Police Officer James Richards was behind a black Toyota Highlander stopped at a red light facing southbound on Geneva Avenue North at 40th Street in the City of Oakdale in Washington County. The vehicle had Minnesota license plate [PLATE REDACTED]. The Officer could see damage to the reas passenger side of the vehicle, including a non-operable passsenger tail light. As the vehicle proceeded the passenger side tire was wobbling and flat. The vehicle then suddenly veered to the right, crossing the opposing lane of traffic and driving onto the grass before correcting to its lane of travel.
The Officer stopped the vehicle and identified the driver as LINO AYALA MEZA, [DOB REDACTED], Suspect. During their interaction the Officer observed the Suspect's eyes to be bloodshot and watery. His speech was slightly slurred. The Suspect's [DL# REDACTED] were revoked at the time of operating the vehicle, and he did not have proof of valid insurance for that vehicle. The Suspect then took and failed field sobriety tests, including a P. B. T. The Suspect was taken to the Washington County Jail where he was read the Minnesota Breath Test Advisory.
After being read the Advisory, the Suspect agreed to submit to the DataMaster Breath Test. The results of that test showed an alcohol concentration of.20 as measured within two hours of his operating the vehicle. At the same time of that call, Oakdale Police Officer Michael Kroeger responded to the scene of an accident being investigated by Oakdale Police Officer William Hanson. The accident involved a hit and run with a suspect vehicle leaving the scene. There were pieces of a vehicle left behind at that scene.
Those pieces appeared to match the ones missing from the Suspect's motor vehicle. The Officers collected those pieces and compared those to the ones missing from the Suspect vehicle and found them to be a perfect match.
