Charges: St. James man was drunk when he led police on chase reaching 70 mph through Fairmont
(Fairmont, MN) – A St. James man who reportedly begged police to keep him in jail after he was arrested for drinking and driving following a police chase has been criminally charged.
Ricardo Alvear II, 23, faces a felony count of fleeing a peace officer in a motor vehicle in Martin County Court. He’s also charged with second-degree DWI, a gross misdemeanor.
According to the criminal complaint, multiple witnesses reported a man driving erratically on Friday night just before 8:30 p.m. One witness told police the driver, who smelled of alcohol, had stopped to ask him about fishing spots in Fairmont. The witness advised him to go to George Lake Dam to fish, according to the complaint.
Officers were traveling to George Dam when the black Equinox described by witnesses drove past their squad on Lake Avenue. When they turned around to follow the vehicle, the driver – later identified as Alvear – began to speed away. The Equinox led police onto 4th Street, then onto Downtown Plaza. Police say the chase reached speeds of up to 72 miles per hour in the 30 mile an hour zone.
Alvear then turned onto 8th Street and drove through multiple streets, driving at about 55 miles per hour, according to the complaint. Court documents say he failed to stop at several stop signs and children were observed playing on the corner of 6th and Dewey Streets during the chase.
According to the complaint, Alvear stopped his vehicle on 4th Street and was arrested without incident. A check of his license revealed his driving privileges were revoked.
When asked if there was anything to hinder his ability to complete sobriety tests, Alvear reportedly responded, “Just me being an alcoholic,” and told police, “You know I’m already drunk so it doesn’t matter.”
Alvear declined to speak to an attorney and told police to keep in jail so he could “wake the f*ck up,” according to the complaint.
A breathalyzer put his blood alcohol content at .17
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