On 03/02/206 at 07:56, Minnesota State Troopers were on patrol in the area of Hwy 169 and Delaware Ave., Saint Lawrence Township, Scott County, Minnesota, when the trooper was dispatched to an injury crash. The plate entered was coming back as a fresh stolen vehicle. At the scene, the trooper saw a semi pulled over and a Toyota SUV with driver side damage. The trooper also saw the median cable barriers were damaged from the crash. The SUV was empty and the air bags had deployed. Witnesses at the scene reported that they saw the driver of the Toyota SUV running from the crash scene.
The vehicle involved in the crash was a 2020 Toyota, with Minnesota Plate No. ZKY159. The vehicle was reported stolen out of St. Paul, MN at 06:45 that morning. At the scene, known witnesses to the crash stated the driver of the Toyota ran with a child or a backpack. (The person was later found with a backpack.) It was determined that the driver of the vehicle fled on foot from the crash. Officers entered the swamp near the highway and spread out and began working north toward the oak trees. A drone was launched from the north.
In a few minutes, the drone located and confirm a male laying the swamp hiding some oak trees. The officers made their way to the drone and made contact with the subject. The subject, driver, later identified as Eric Joel Berrios-Soto, [DOB REDACTED], hereinafter the Defendant, denied being a driver or being in a crash, but stated he had been in the corn field for 3 hours and smoking meth. The Defendant had a two drug pipes in his possession, one with a white substance believed to be meth and the other had marijuana residue.
The Defendant was taken to a nearby ambulance. The trooper accompanied the Defendant to St. Francis Hospital. The trooper prepared a search warrant for a sample of the Defendant's blood/urine. At 10:49 Judge King signed the warrant. At 11:18 a phlebotomist took a sample of the Defendant blood using a BCA collection kit. The Defendant was cleared by the hospital and taken to the Scott County Jail. He is unlicensed and currently claims to be homeless in Minneapolis. PLEASE TAKE NOTICE: Pursuant to Minn.
Stat. 609.49, intentional failure to appear for duly scheduled court appearances may result in additional criminal charges, and in addition to any arrest warrant that may otherwise be issued by the Court.
