Carjack suspect arrested

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A car jacking suspect who stole a vehicle in Woodbury last week was arrested after the Woodbury patrol officer he initially thought he had lost caught back up with him in White Bear Lake.

Jason Maurice Fagin, known by friends as “Spoony” was charged with two felony counts related to the Sunday, Feb. 17 incident where he allegedly stole a car from an acquaintance by gunpoint.

Fagin, 28, of Minneapolis, has a record of multiple prior offenses related to burglary, drugs and forgery.

According to the criminal complaint, Fagin and two of his friends were hanging out at a mutual friend’s Woodbury residence on the 3500 block of Commonwealth Avenue, before Fagin left with the homeowner to purchase a taillight for the vehicle he arrived in with friends, which was a Dodge Caravan.

The Woodbury resident told police he believed he was driving Fagin and another friend to purchase the auto part when Fagin pulled out a gun and demanded that the passenger and driver get out of the car, the criminal complaint stated.

Once the driver and passenger were standing outside the 2003 Hyundai Tiburon, Fagin got in the driver’s seat and drove away. Fagin’s friends in the van followed him away from the scene.

The car jacking victim used his cell phone to report the crime.

Woodbury patrol officer Scott Melander heard the description of the stolen vehicle and located it near Radio Drive and Afton Road. The vehicle did not pull over and accelerated at speeds in excess of 110 mph north on Radio Drive and across I-94.

Melander was unable keep up with the vehicle, but he later heard State Patrol reports that the vehicle had been spotted by witnesses in White Bear Lake.

Melander drove to White Bear Lake to assist officers in locating the stolen vehicle when he spoke with a Ramsey Count Sheriff’s Deputy who said the vehicle had crashed into a street sign and then lost police in a neighborhood. Local authorities later located the vehicle and Fagin nearby.

Fagin, whose license was revoked because of a previous offense, faces charges of felony fleeing an officer in a motor vehicle and gross misdemeanor driving after cancellation of license.

Tags: fagin, carjacking, suspect, woodbury, arrested, white, bear, melander