
Stolen Van, 100 MPH Chase: Rochester Man Gets Probation
Rochester, MN (KROC-AM News) - A Rochester man who was sent to prison for a manslaughter conviction nine years ago has been sentenced for stealing a shuttle van and leading law enforcement on a chase last fall.
According to court records, Rochester police responded on the afternoon of October 11, 2024, to a report of a vehicle theft in the 800 block of Civic Center Drive Northwest. A statement from Rochester police says officers were told a shuttle van had been left running outside the transportation business while customers were inside the building preparing to depart.
Approximately 15 minutes later, Rochester police were informed that the stolen van had been spotted heading north on Highway 52. A traffic stop was attempted in the Zumbrota area, but the driver accelerated and continued traveling north until stop sticks were deployed on the highway and the shuttle van finally stopped in the Cannon Falls area.
One of the criminal complaints filed in the case indicated the stolen van was clocked going nearly 100 mph during the pursuit. One of the pursuing law enforcement officers also reported seeing the van nearly collide with the rear of a semi-truck while making abrupt lane changes on Highway 52. The pursuit lasted about 21 miles.
READ MORE: Rochester Police Arrest Man Suspected of Stealing Shuttle Van
The court document says the driver of the stolen van, later identified as 39-year-old Abdulkadir Omar Mohamed, took off running into a field after stopping the vehicle. A search was launched, but authorities were unable to find him in the tall corn of the unharvested fields.
Court records state that Rochester police investigators then reviewed surveillance video recordings from the area where the van had been stolen. The criminal complaint says Mohamed was seen in the videos and had been in contact with police officers on three different occasions in the two weeks prior to the theft.
About a week later, Rochester police reported arresting Mohamed after he was spotted near some railroad tracks adjacent to the site where the van had been stolen.
He was charged with vehicle theft in Olmsted County Court, while Goodhue County authorities charged Mohamed with a felony count of fleeing police and several misdemeanor offenses stemming from the high-speed chase. Mohamed entered guilty pleas to both felony charges in February.
He was sentenced this week to three years on probation. Mohamed was also given a stayed 13-month prison term, which could be executed if he fails to meet the terms of his probation.

Minnesota court records also show Mohamed was sentenced to 58 months in prison in 2016 after admitting to a second-degree manslaughter charge. Under a plea agreement, a second-degree murder charge was dismissed.
READ MORE: Rochester Man's Unintentional Death Results in Prison Sentence
Mohamed was accused of fatally shooting a 31-year-old man while handling a gun in the backseat of a car. Rochester police indicated the weapon discharged, and the bullet went through the driver’s seat, striking the victim in the upper torso. The deadly incident occurred in August 2015 on 2nd Street Southwest near St. Marys Hospital.
10 Personalized License Plates That Are Now Forbidden in Minnesota
Gallery Credit: Curt St. John