Rice Man Arrested For Allegedly Stealing a Stearns County Vehicle

RICE -- A Rice man was arrested for allegedly stealing a car over the weekend.

The incident happened at about 1:30 a.m. Saturday at the Old Creamery Cafe in Rice.

Police Chief Ross Hamann says officers ran a random license plate check on a GMC Yukon near the Holiday Gas station and noticed the vehicle did not match the description of the registered vehicle.

The suspects quickly drove away and left the car in the Old Creamery parking lot, still running and doors open. Officers also noticed two men and a woman running from the scene.

Further investigation found the Yukon had been stolen from Stearns County and the license plates were taken from a vehicle in Clay County.

Police also found a hypodermic needle inside the vehicle.

A short time later, the woman and one of the male suspects returned and told police the driver was hiding in a restroom near the gas station.

Police later found the driver, 26-year-old Collin Koerner, still inside.

Koerner was arrested and taken to the Benton County Jail. He faces charges of Unauthorized Use of a Motor Vehicle, Driving after Revocation and possession of a hypodermic needle.