An Eagan officer chased a grey Lincoln MKZ that sped off from a traffic stop, struck two vehicles at a busy intersection and fled on foot before being found hiding near a middle school, according to the complaint.
Dragos Valentine Bogza, 47, of Saint Louis Park, is charged in Dakota County District Court with first-degree driving while impaired, refusal with three or more prior offenses, fleeing a peace officer in a motor vehicle and driving after cancellation for public safety reasons. The complaint was filed Nov. 4.
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According to the complaint, at about 1:52 p.m. on November 2, an Eagan police officer on patrol saw a grey Lincoln MKZ cross the centerline into oncoming traffic lanes on Cliff Road. The officer also saw the vehicle fail to signal properly before turning south onto Pilot Knob Road. The officer activated his lights near Wellington Way and Pilot Knob Road, but the MKZ was slow to stop.
The complaint says that as soon as the officer exited his squad car, the driver sped off south. The officer followed and saw the MKZ ahead at McAndrews Road, where it entered the intersection from the right turn lane in front of another vehicle traveling eastbound on McAndrews. The MKZ collided with that vehicle, then struck another vehicle before coming to a stop.
The complaint says the officer saw a single person flee on foot from the MKZ, heading westbound. The driver was described as a white male wearing a grey jacket. The officer rendered aid to the occupants of the two vehicles that were struck and confirmed there were no serious injuries. Tow trucks were called for the disabled vehicles.
The complaint says officers obtained a squad camera image of the fleeing suspect and distributed it to other officers searching the area. Officers inventoried the MKZ before towing it and found a cell phone on the dash and a backpack in the back seat containing a jar with what appeared to be marijuana.
Officers received a report that the suspect had approached a residence and asked for water. The homeowner provided a ring camera image of the suspect. Officers later found the suspect hunkered down in vegetation east of a middle school’s ball fields. He was taken into custody, and officers found a brown glass pipe in his pants pocket and a container with what appeared to be drug residue.
Officers identified the man as Bogza, noted that he appeared lethargic and took him to a hospital. Officers obtained a search warrant for a blood or urine sample to determine if Bogza was under the influence. Bogza was told that refusing would be a crime and still refused to give a sample, according to the complaint.
The complaint says Bogza’s driving record showed his license was canceled as inimical to public safety.
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Jurisdictional Context
Dakota County, immediately south of Saint Paul, is Minnesota’s third-largest county by population. The Dakota County Attorney’s Office prosecutes felonies through the First Judicial District; cases are heard at the Dakota County Judicial Center in Hastings.
