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A Minneapolis man is accused of raping his ex-girlfriend and cutting her with a knife, then leading police on a high-speed chase through the south metro that ended in a crash on Cedar Avenue in Eagan, Minn.
Alex Neal, 30, is charged with burglary, kidnapping and first-degree criminal sexual conduct for the terrifying series of events that unfolded the night of Feb. 18 and the early morning hours of Feb. 19.
‘Creepy' note left in door
The victim broke up with Neal at the beginning of the year, after which he began making suicidal statements that landed him in the mental health unit at Hennepin County Medical Center.
On Feb. 14, she found a note stuck in the door of her apartment on Summit Avenue in St. Paul that read, "Now that you're single, we should f---." The note was typed out, but she believed it came from Neal.
On Feb. 18, at approximately 7:30 p.m., the victim returned home from a trip to Mexico. That night, while talking to a friend on the phone, she mentioned the note left in the door and said it was "creepy." She said she was afraid, but later went to bed around 9:30.
Escape from apartment
At about 11:30 p.m., the victim woke up to find Neal sitting next to her in bed, naked. She asked if he was going to kill her, to which he replied, "Not if you do what I say." When Neal said something about the "creepy" note in the door, it was a startling revelation that he was probably in the apartment the entire night.
The victim said she needed to use the bathroom, but Neal followed her into the bathroom and stood over her. Fearing that he was going to take her from the apartment against her will, the victim ran into the hallway and pounded on a neighbor's door. While she was running away, Neal slashed at her with the knife, causing a cut to her left hand.
Tracing the cell phone
When police met the victim at the hospital, she received a phone call that was coming from the Northwood, Iowa area. She answered the phone and told police it was Neal. At the direction of police, she told Neal that she didn't call police, that she was still at home and that he should come back to the apartment. During the conversation, Neal admitted that he had been hiding in her apartment.
The phone call was traced to a Country Inn and Suites in Northwood, Iowa. 15 minutes later, the victim received a call from a different number out of Albert Lea, Minn, then a third call from Owatonna 20 minutes later. Another 15 minutes later, a fourth call came in from Northfield, Minn.
High speed chase hits 120 mph
Police put out an alert to the Minnesota State Patrol that Alex Neal may be traveling north on Interstate 35W. Lakeville police spotted the car and began a pursuit that continued north on 35W into Minneapolis, before bending back down Highway 55. Eagan police joined the chase at Highway 55 and Highway 13, at which point Neal reached speeds of 80 to 110 mph.
Neal exited to southbound Cedar Avenue, running two red lights at speeds of 120 mph. Apple Valley police put out stop sticks, which caused Neal's car to lose a tire near Cliff Road. The car spun out of control, hit a barrier underneath Cedar Ave. and ended up in a ditch just north of the Cliff Bridge.
Police arrested Neal and found multiple rolls of duct tape in the car. When questioned by police, he exercised his right to remain silent.