Northern MN jail escapee stole Camaro, led deputies on high-speed pursuit: charges

BAUDETTE, Minn. (FOX 9) - A man who escaped a northern Minnesota jail ended up stealing a Camaro and leading deputies on a high-speed pursuit that ended at the local airport, according to a criminal complaint.

Inmate escape

What we know:

LaShaun Tarez Moran, 45, faces charges of escape from custody, theft of a motor vehicle, fleeing from police, and burglary related to the reported escape in Lake of the Woods County on June 16.

According to the complaint, Moran ran from the jail in Baudette, Minn. during recreation time. Baudette is located along the Rainy River at the United States-Canada border.

The sheriff's office says Moran was supposed to remain at a picnic table outside the jail. But, a guard watching on surveillance cameras saw Moran walk on foot to a neighboring property.

Camaro stolen

Dig deeper:

Deputies searched the wooded property east of the jail, but were unable to find Moran. As deputies were leaving to search another area, an investigator spotted a Camaro pulling out of the driveway of the property they had just searched. The investigator suspected Moran may have been behind the wheel and followed the Camaro. The deputy activated his emergency lights but the driver didn't stop.

As they approached the intersection of 9th Avenue SE and County Road 35, deputies say the driver accelerated as it turned west on County Road 35, sparking a pursuit. The vehicle then looped back north, going through downtown Baudette and to the Baudette airport. At the airport, the driver made a circle on the tarmac and came racing back towards deputies. The investigator who first spotted the Camaro used his squad to block the roadway, forcing the driver to either stop or drive off-road, where the deputy thought the low-profile vehicle would get stuck.

Deputies say Moran ultimately slammed the brakes but ended up making contact with the squad's front bumper. Moran was taken into custody moments later. In total, the pursuit lasted about three miles.

Previous arrest

Timeline:

Deputies say it appears Moran broke into the homeowner's basement window. Blood and mud tracks were found inside the home. There was also blood on the vehicle's steering wheel and gear shift.

After being read his rights, deputies say Moran admitted to escaping, hiding near a white truck at the county highway garage building, just south of the jail, before breaking into the home and stealing the truck. The complaint states that Moran told deputies he left the jail because he felt unsafe, according to the charges.

The backstory:

Court records show Moran was arrested in May for possession of a gun as a felon, possession of drugs, and driving with revoked privileges. A criminal complaint for the May arrest alleges Moran was spotted driving by a conservation officer, who knew Moran's wasn't allowed to drive, at a gas station in Baudette. After his arrest, officers said they found a Smith & Wesson handgun, marijuana, and a baggie with a substance that officers believed to be crystal meth.

Moran has previous felony convictions, including a past drug conviction, and wasn't allowed to have a gun.

Moran was ordered held on $35,000 cash bail in that case.