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Minnesota man jailed hours after release — for 35th time: Sheriff

(Credit: MNDOT via Storyful)

(NewsNation) — A man in Minnesota has been jailed for a 35th time after leading deputies on a car chase the same morning he posted bail, according to the local sheriff’s office.

According to the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office, 31-year-old Yonas Abay has been a frequent visitor to the Ramsey County Jail.


“Abay knows his way around the Ramsey County jail,” the sheriff’s office said on Facebook.

On April 19, he was arrested for possession of a controlled substance and for two outstanding warrants, the sheriff’s office said.

The warrants were for a DWI and receiving stolen property, according to the sheriff’s office. Abay was booked and held at the Ramsey County Jail. Then, on April 25, he posted a $5,000 bond and was released at about 6 a.m.

Video footage posted on social media by the sheriff’s office shows a red Chevy pickup truck with a trailer described as having been stolen by the suspect on April 25, just hours after he posted bail.

After bailing out on April 25, the sheriff’s office alleged Abay “took off like a maniac” in the pickup, “swerving in and out of traffic, putting people’s lives at risk.”

Minnesota Department of Transportation cameras were able to locate him as he drove the wrong way against rush-hour traffic.

According to KDHL radio, the suspect then dropped off a passenger at a Menards store before continuing on his way. The passenger was quickly arrested by police.

After deputies made several attempts to stop the pickup, the suspect eventually tried to flee by foot and “hide in some garages.” He was quickly found, the sheriff’s office said, and returned to the familiar confines of the local jail.

Storyful contributed to this report.