On November 6, 2024, at 0048 hours, Trooper Pavek of the Minnesota State Patrol, attempted a traffic stop of a blue Chrysler 200, MN Lic. NUP844, near Cretin and Vandalia, St. Paul, Ramsey County. The vehicle’s taillights were not on. The vehicle operator was driving erratically, with sudden lane changes, and a rolling right hand turn through a red light. The trooper, driving a fully marked squad car, activated overhead lights and followed the vehicle. The Chrysler did not yield and started to gain speed northbound on Vandalia.
The trooper activated sirens and continued to follow the fleeing vehicle, which had lost control during a right turn on Wabash, nearly striking a building. The vehicle continued to flee eastbound on Wabash. The trooper discontinued pursuit and followed the vehicle until he lost visual of the vehicle after the driver made some evasive turns, last seen northbound on Vandalia. The trooper was able to see that the vehicle was occupied by a lone male driver. He was a white male in his 30s. The vehicle registered to Karina Marie Kemp, [DOB REDACTED]. Investigation revealed that Kemp has a son, De’Sean Giovanni Benik, [DOB REDACTED]. Investigators spoke to Marie Benik, Karina’s mother and De’Sean’s grandmother.
She said that De’Sean is the sole driver of the Chrysler 200. She provided his phone number. On November 6, 2024, An investigator spoke to De’Sean Benik. He stated that he loaned the vehicle three days ago to a person he met in rehab. He said his name was Chris Welch. He provided the number [PHONE REDACTED]. He said that he played football in college in Mankato. He said he lives in Galtier Towers in St. Paul. He said he would get more information on Welch. Databases did not substantiate Benik’s information about Welch, nor did they show that such a person exists.
The phone number provided did not register to a Chris Welch. Minnesota State University at Mankato did not have a person named Chris Welch who played football there. The investigator spoke to Benik again on November 7, 2024. He stated that he had not further contact with Welch and had no additional information about him. He stated that he did not report his vehicle as stolen. He seemed unconcerned that he did not know the location of his vehicle. Benik then did not respond to phone calls or texts from the investigator.
Investigators obtained Benik’s cell phone records via search warrant. GPS data placed Benik’s phone in the immediate area of the fleeing vehicle on the date and time when the vehicle fled from Trooper Pavek. Moreover, an LPR photo of NUP844 taken on November 6, 2024, at 1313:46 hours, was recorded at the same time as GPS placed Benik’s phone in the area where the photo was recorded. This was after the investigator had spoken to Benik on the phone and Benik claimed that Welch had his vehicle. On November 13, 2024, at 1840 hours, Benik called the investigator and said that he had no additional information on Welch, that he does not know where his car is located, and that he had not reported it stolen.
