Car Theft Suspect Apprehended at Apple Valley Elementary School

Christmas break got off to a bad start for one Burnsville man, who was arrested after allegedly trying to hide a stolen car in the parking lot of an Apple Valley elementary school.

Devon John Olufson, 18, was arrested on Dec. 23 after a sprint around the grade school grounds. Olufson is charged with one count of motor vehicle theft, a felony punishable by up to five years in prison and a $10,000 fine. He also faces two misdemeanor charges for receiving stolen property and fleeing a peace officer. Both carry a maximum sentence of 90 days in jail and a $1,000 fine.

According to the criminal complaint, an Apple Valley police officer spotted a silver Ford Taurus turn into the parking lot of the elementary school, which was closed at the time. The driver parked the car behind a pile of snow. After running the plate, the officer discovered that the car had been stolen earlier that day from a townhouse complex in Burnsville.

The driver got out of the hot car and fled on foot as the officer approached in his squad. 

Eventually the driver was caught and identified as Olufson. Officers found various property inside the car that did not belong to the registered owner. Police say that Olufson admitted that he'd stolen the car, and also pilfered the assorted items inside from other vehicles.