Pakou Thao

On July 23, 2025, at 12:38 A.M., a South Saint Paul police officer was on routine patrol in the City of South Saint Paul, Dakota County, Minnesota, when he observed a motor vehicle that displayed a white light to the rear when the driver applied the vehicle’s brakes. The vehicle eventually pulled over to the side of the street and stopped. The officer stopped behind the vehicle and activated his patrol car’s emergency lights. The driver was identified as Pakou Thao, the defendant herein, and admitted knowing about the broken brake light.

She also admitted only having a Minnesota Driver’s Learners Permit, not an actual driver’s license. She also was unable to provide proof of insurance for the vehicle. The passenger, who was the only other occupant of the vehicle, said that he did not have a valid Minnesota driver’s license. The officer ran a check and determined that the defendant’s Minnesota driving privileges were revoked. The defendant consented to the officer searching her vehicle. In the defendant’s purse, the officer located a crystal substance the was later preliminarily tested at the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension and the test indicated the presence of methamphetamine and it weighed 5.491 grams.

The bag was also fingerprinted at the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension and no latent prints suitable for identification were found.