A 13-year-old Mower County resident was taken into custody Thursday night after allegedly fleeing police in a stolen vehicle.

According to Austin Police Chief David McKichan, an officer on routine patrol spotted a suspicious vehicle at about 11 p.m. Thursday parked in the parking lot of the Hormel Corporate South building. The officer turned around to investigate but the vehicle, a 2012 Acura STX, exited the parking lot at a high rate of speed and turned the wrong way on Seventh Place Northwest. The officer then attempted a traffic stop, but the vehicle continued driving, ignoring stop signs and driving around other vehicles. Speeds reached up to 55 mph.

A police lieutenant joined the chase when it reached Fourth Avenue Northeast, but ordered an end to the pursuit due to the speed, high traffic in the area, and the lack of control the Acura’s driver had on the vehicle, McKichan said. The Acura continued traveling at a high rate of speed and police maintained a presence in the area. They then found the Acura disabled on a curb in the 300-400 block of 10th Street Northeast.

The driver, a 13-year-old male, was still in the vehicle and attempted to get the car moving again when police arrested him, McKichan said. Police learned the Acura had been stolen from Kuehn Motor Company on North Main Street.

The juvenile was taken to a placement center and is facing possible charges of theft of a motor vehicle, fleeing a peace officer in a motor vehicle, speeding, reckless driving and driving without a license.