Fergus Falls Man Arrested After Stolen Vehicle Pursuit Near New York Mills

Rene Torres, 41, didn't stop when Otter Tail County deputies found him behind the wheel of a stolen vehicle south of New York Mills late on the night of February 27. He ran. It took both tire deflation devices and a pursuit intervention technique to bring him to a stop.

The sequence began just after 9 p.m., when the Otter Tail County Sheriff's Office received a call about a potentially stolen vehicle at a residence south of New York Mills. Deputies located the vehicle a short time later, "at which point the driver, Rene Torres, attempted to flee," according to the sheriff's office. "Otter Tail County deputies utilized tire deflation devices and a pursuit intervention technique to bring the vehicle to a stop," the sheriff's office stated. Torres, who lives on the south side of Fergus Falls along County Highway 11, was taken into custody without further incident. No officers or members of the public were injured.

The Minnesota State Patrol, New York Mills Fire Department, and Astera Ambulance all assisted at the scene, reflecting the interagency coordination the sheriff's office brought to bear on the pursuit.

Torres now faces three felony charges: motor vehicle theft, fleeing in a motor vehicle, and third-degree burglary. The burglary charge is the most consequential legal element in the case. Third-degree burglary under Minnesota law requires unlawful entry into a building or property with intent to commit a crime inside, suggesting Torres allegedly entered the premises where the vehicle was stored before taking it, not simply driving off with an unattended car. Torres was booked into the Otter Tail County Detention Facility, and formal charging documents are expected to appear on the district court calendar in the coming days.

The decision to use two active stopping tools carries particular weight in Otter Tail County. In October 2020, sheriff's deputy Kelly Backman pursued a fleeing suspect through Fergus Falls while fentanyl was present in his system. That chase ended when the suspect's vehicle crashed into a car carrying Steven Christianson, 72, and Diane Christianson, 71, killing both. Backman was charged in February 2021 with gross misdemeanor misconduct by a public officer and fourth-degree DWI. The fallout swept out roughly a dozen criminal cases tied to Backman's narcotics investigations and ended his tenure with the Sheriff's Office.

Against that backdrop, the move to deploy stop sticks and a PIT maneuver south of New York Mills, cutting the pursuit short rather than allowing a prolonged high-speed chase through rural county roads, reflects how profoundly the events of 2020 altered the calculus when Otter Tail County deputies decide to give chase.