Saint Paul, MN (trfnews.i234.me) – A routine traffic stop in Saint Paul took a shocking turn on Sunday night when a random man stole a woman’s Lincoln Navigator while she was undergoing a sobriety test. The incident unfolded around 6 p.m. as part of the “Toward Zero Deaths” campaign aimed at reducing impaired driving.
As the officer administered field sobriety tests to the woman he had pulled over for speeding near Jefferson Avenue and 7th Street, a man unrelated to the traffic stop jumped into her SUV and sped off. The suspect, identified as 39-year-old Kyle Vanwert, has a record of drug and theft-related crimes.
Despite the theft, the woman quickly assisted police by using her Apple “Find My” app to track her stolen iPhone, which led them to Apple Valley. Although the thief discarded the phone, an Apple AirTag attached to the car keys provided further location data. Police traced the AirTag to Richfield, where they found the SUV, pursued it, and apprehended Vanwert.
The woman’s SUV was returned intact, and she faced no DWI charges. However, Vanwert may face a DWI charge pending toxicology results, as police suspect he was under the influence of drugs.