Minnesota homeowner finds James Minter after burning truck chase: ‘Half-naked man with blood coming out of his mouth’

A 43-year-old Rochester ex-con fled deputies in a stolen truck that erupted in flames inside a cornfield, according to court documents.

James Donald Minter, 43, is from Rochester, Minnesota, records show.

On July 8, 2026, a woman called the Olmsted County Sheriff’s Office to report that her green Ford truck had been stolen, deputies said.

Deputies located the vehicle shortly after the report when they spotted it blow through a stop sign near 60th Street Southwest, according to court documents.

Deputies moved to conduct a traffic stop near the intersection, authorities said. Instead of pulling over, the driver hit the gas and sped away, the complaint states.

The fleeing driver tore across private property during the initial pursuit, deputies said. He then drove straight into an active cornfield, according to court documents.

The vehicle reached the middle of the field before catching fire, records show. According to court documents, the truck “started on fire and became engulfed in flames.”

Rather than stick around, the driver abandoned the burning truck and fled on foot, deputies said.

Investigators deployed aerial drones and K9 units into the rural area to track the suspect, according to officials.

Deputies eventually located Minter hiding at a property nearby, authorities said.

A local homeowner encountered the suspect first when he appeared outside her residence, records state. She reported seeing a “half-naked man with bl**d coming out of his mouth” standing at her door, court documents state.

Court documents lay out a trail of damage that started well before the truck ignited, according to the complaint.

Minter allegedly struck another vehicle during his attempt to get away, the complaint states.

The 43-year-old suspect also caused more than $2,000 in property damage, court documents allege.

Deputies said Minter drove erratically through residential yards throughout the pursuit, according to the complaint.

The incident followed the initial theft of the truck and the chase that ended with it burning in the field, court documents state.

Minter sustained injuries during the incident, according to officials. He was taken to a hospital for medical treatment before deputies booked him into the Olmsted County Adult Detention Center, records show.

Court records show the defendant carries a criminal history stretching back more than 25 years, according to documents.

In 2018, Minter was sentenced to five years in prison, court records show.

That five-year sentence followed convictions for assault, burglaries, vehicle thefts, and numerous prior law enforcement pursuits, according to records.

Prosecutors charged Minter with felony fleeing police in a motor vehicle, according to court documents.

The defendant was also charged with criminal damage to property, the complaint states.

Minter faces an additional charge of motor vehicle theft, according to court records.

As of the most recent reporting, the criminal charges against Minter remained pending, with no trial date or resolution yet on record, court documents state.