WALCOTT, ND (trfnews.i234.me) – A high-speed pursuit that began near Felton, Minnesota, at around 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday ended dramatically in Walcott, North Dakota, an hour later. The chase concluded when the suspect’s RAV4 became stuck in a field on the west side of Walcott, prompting the driver to flee on foot.
A female passenger was quickly detained and released at the scene. Shortly after the vehicle was abandoned, it caught fire, igniting a nearby grass field. Multiple law enforcement agencies responded to the scene, securing a perimeter, while the Walcott and KFPX fire departments extinguished the fires.
An Everbridge shelter-in-place message was sent to Walcott residents. K9 search teams from Clay County conducted a ground search, while drones provided aerial surveillance. A house-to-house search was also conducted.
At 8:17 p.m., Clay County deputies located the suspect, 43-year-old Mark Crompton, hiding in a motorhome in the driveway of a Walcott residence. Crompton, who had outstanding warrants from Grand Forks County for theft, Cass County for burglary, and Richland County for possession of stolen property, was arrested and taken to the Richland County Jail. Additional charges related to the pursuit, property damage, and vehicle trespassing are pending.
I’m Alex Stone reporting for trfnews.i234.me