A Hastings man stole a GMC truck from a South Saint Paul service garage, then led officers on a high-speed chase through Maplewood and Ramsey County before being arrested, according to charges.
Kaleb William Ray Blackburn, who was 22 at the time of the alleged offense, faces four charges in Ramsey County District Court: felony theft of a motor vehicle, felony fleeing a peace officer in a motor vehicle, gross misdemeanor DWI for refusing a chemical test and misdemeanor DWI for operating under the influence of a controlled substance.
According to the complaint, a Maplewood police officer saw a GMC with no license plates driving in Maplewood in the early morning hours of March 9, 2026. The officer attempted a traffic stop after the GMC ran a red light, but the driver pulled over briefly before fleeing. For safety reasons, the officer did not pursue.
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Around the same time, Maplewood officers were dispatched to a Speedway store after a caller reported a male had stolen merchandise and left in a black GMC truck with no plates. The vehicle matched the description of the GMC that had just fled from police.
White Bear Lake police and Ramsey County deputies later spotted the GMC and attempted to stop it. The driver refused to pull over and fled at speeds exceeding 100 mph. Deputies tried to use a PIT maneuver to stop the vehicle but were only able to box it in and force it to stop near a Kowalski’s store. Officers arrested Blackburn and turned him over to Maplewood police.
Officers noted that Blackburn had bloodshot eyes, appeared disoriented and sluggish and his speech was delayed and slurred. He provided a breath sample showing 0.00 BAC. At the hospital, officers attempted to obtain a blood or urine sample under a search warrant. Blackburn refused to provide blood but agreed to a urine sample, then delayed and became physically resistive, eventually becoming combative and trying to kick an officer at the law enforcement center.
During a search, police found three key fobs on Blackburn, each with a dealer tag. The fobs belonged to the 2026 GMC, a 2019 Jeep Wrangler and a 2001 Ram 1500. Officers also recovered the stolen Speedway merchandise from the GMC. The Speedway employee later confirmed Blackburn was the person who stole the items.
A Maplewood police investigator learned through CarFax that the GMC belonged to Fury GMC Motors and had been stolen overnight from their South Saint Paul service garage during a burglary. The value of the GMC exceeded $5,000. The investigator reviewed surveillance footage from the dealership and from Speedway and identified Blackburn as the person who stole the GMC and the merchandise, the complaint says.
The charges were filed October 1 in Ramsey County District Court.
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Jurisdictional Context
Ramsey County encompasses Saint Paul and is served by the Ramsey County Attorney’s Office. Felony cases are heard in the Second Judicial District at the Ramsey County Courthouse in downtown Saint Paul; Ramsey County Community Corrections operates the Ramsey County Correctional Facility in Maplewood.
