Two in jail after Thursday chase

Published 12:00 am Friday, May 31, 2002

Two adults are in custody after a high speed chase ended with over seven law enforcement agencies pursuing a car.

The chase began as the result of an apparent purse snatching in Wykoff.

Mower County Sheriff Barry J. Simonson identified the adults in custody as Kevin Paul Kurz, 29 of Faribault, and Jessica Lynn Berger, 20 of Spring Valley. The child, a 2 year old boy, is Berger's son.

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Kurz and Berger remain in the Mower County Jail, while Mower County Attorney Patrick A. Oman reviews multiple charges in both Fillmore and Mower counties. The child was placed in protective custody with the Mower County Department of Human Services.

Berger has told authorities what happened, beginning Thursday afternoon at Wykoff.

According to Sheriff Simonson, the couple drove from Wykoff and used stolen credit cards from the snatched purse to make purchases in Wykoff, Spring Valley, Ostrander, Adams and a gas station along Highway 56 at the Interstate 90 interchange. When they attempted to purchase more items at a Texaco station in Austin, the purchases were not allowed.

However, Kurz apparently pilfered a wallet and the couple went to the Target Store, where Berger made more purchases.

By then, Austin Police and Mower County Sheriff's Departments' officers were monitoring radio traffic from Fillmore County detailing the crime spree.

When sheriff's officers attempted to block the car with Kurz behind the wheel at the Target Store, Berger dumped packages into the car and the couple and small child sped off with officers in pursuit.

The chase took officers north on Highway 218 and onto gravel roads near Blooming Prairie.

According to Sheriff Simonson, who joined the pursuit himself, Kurz drove at speeds over 100 miles per hour in a late-model Geo Storm compact car. Along the way, he drank beer and neither the driver nor Berger seat-belted the 2 year old child.

Finally, the chase turned north on Highway 56. When Kurz attempted to turn onto a Dodge County gravel road north of Hayfield, his car was rammed by a pursuit vehicle and went into a ditch. None of the occupants were injured after being examined by the Hayfield First Responder Squad.

Police officers from Blooming Prairie, Brownsdale and Grand Meadow joined the chase as well as the Minnesota State Patrol.