Man Arrested for Vehicle Theft, Property Damage, and DWI
EAGAN and APPLE VALLEY, MINNESOTA—Samuel Vincent Priscella, a resident of Eden Prairie, Minnesota, found himself in hot water after a string of alleged offenses on May 1, 2024, in Dakota County, Minnesota. Priscella, 35, faces charges including theft of a motor vehicle, criminal property damage, and impaired driving.
According to the complaint submitted to the court by the Dakota County Attorney’s Office, the incident occurred around 10:12 AM on May 1, 2024, when officers with the Eagan Police Department responded to a report of a stolen vehicle from the Amazon Distribution Center parking lot on Lexington Avenue in Eagan, Minnesota. The vehicle in question was a Toyota Tundra belonging to a contractor, taken without the owner's consent. The contractor said they were working at the scene and witnessed two individuals driving away in the stolen vehicle. They had thought it was some friends playing a prank on them, but realized they didn’t know either of the people in the car.
Thanks to a cell phone left in the car, the contractor was able to track the stolen vehicle. With this information, officers from the Apple Valley Police Department were able to locate the vehicle at a Shell Gas Station in Apple Valley, Minnesota. Officers were able to apprehend Priscella, who was observed exiting the driver's seat of the stolen vehicle. Priscella admitted to stealing the truck, citing desperation after being evicted from a local Microtel hotel.
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However, the charges against Priscella didn't end there. Upon closer inspection, officers noticed signs of impairment. Priscella displayed slurred speech and emitted a strong odor of alcohol from his breath. Subsequent field sobriety tests confirmed his intoxication, with a Preliminary Breath Test (PBT) recording a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.18, well above the legal limit. A later DMT sample showed a BAC of 0.16.
While officers were en route to the Shell Gas Station, they received a call about a woman in the same gas station who was reported to have been beaten up and was crying in the store. When officers arrived at the scene, an officer spoke with the woman who reported being assaulted by Priscella, which added another layer of complexity to the case. Although the details were limited, her account aligns with Priscella's admission of stealing the vehicle, indicating a turbulent and potentially dangerous relationship between the pair.
Another officer received a report of a hit-and-run and property damage at a business in Apple Valley. Further investigations revealed the stolen vehicle driven by Priscella caused the damage. Surveillance footage obtained from Uponor, a local business in Apple Valley, Minnesota, showed the vehicle damaging property as it attempted to flee the scene. The estimated cost to repair the damaged property totaled $2,496.90, falling within the criteria for first-degree criminal damage to property.
Priscella's prior criminal history shows convictions for previous DWI, property damage, and DANCO violations. Priscella's next court date is scheduled for May 23, 2024, at 9:00 AM in Hastings, Minnesota. As this is an active case, Priscella is considered innocent until proven guilty.
Dakota County Jail
Cover Photo Credit by Scott Rodgerson on Unsplash
Written by: Will Wight
