Garhok Gatchay (OTCDF)
Fergus Falls, MN – A 25-year-old man from Sioux Falls was arrested after going on a crime spree across Fergus Falls.
According to court documents, the Fergus Falls Police Department responded to a report of a theft at the Holiday Gas Station involving a man behind the employee’s counter and taking items without paying at around 10:25 Monday evening (July 8th).
When officers arrived at the scene, a white vehicle went past them at a high rate of speed and dispatch reported that the suspect had stolen a vehicle of similar description at the gas station.
An officer spoke with the owner of the vehicle, who reported that a man had jumped in the car and told him to drive.
When he attempted to call police, the man took his phone and said that “someone was going to die tonight.”
The owner left the vehicle in fear for his life and the man drove off with it.
Officers continued to search for the vehicle while they continued to receive reports about its potential location.
At one point, the vehicle was spotted at the Nelson Ford Dealership.
Surveillance footage later showed the vehicle driving erratically in reverse and through a ditch and hit a vehicle parked at the dealership.
The estimated damage was $12,157.24.
A report then came in of the vehicle being seen at the Cenex Gas Station, and a male entering the store and taking items from behind the employee counter.
Officers arrived on the scene and ordered the suspect to the ground, but the man approached and pushed into the officer and began to flee on foot, before eventually being apprehended.
He was taken into custody and identified as Garhok Khor Gatchay.
The owner of the white vehicle confirmed that Gatchay was the man who stole his vehicle.
There was some damage to the vehicle from Gatchay’s erratic driving.
Officers spoke with the employees at both gas stations.
An employee from the Holiday Gas Station said that when Gatchay was behind the counter, they told him that he couldn’t be back there and Gatchay replied, “Don’t tell me what to do,” before beginning to take tobacco, vape, food, and beverage items totaling $75.50.
An employee at Cenex told officials that Gatchay entered the store and began knocking over display racks and beating on a cooler door as if trying to break it, before grabbing items and throwing them around.
He then went behind the counter, grabbing tobacco related items and banging on the cash registers, at which point the employee called 911.
The items Gatchay stole from Cenex totaled around $358.60 and the damage to store merchandise totaled $172.10, not including damage done to the cooler he was banging on.
Gatchay has been charged with Felony 3rd Degree Carjacking and multiple misdemeanor charges.
He made his first appearance in Otter Tail County Court on Wednesday morning (July 10th).