North Charleston, United States - June 08, 2025 A man was arrested after leading police on a slow-speed pursuit in a stolen excavator that caused thousands of dollars in damage to a local business. The chase began around 3 a.m. when North Charleston police spotted a Komatsu excavator crossing US 78 near Los Tienda Mexicana, a Hispanic grocery market. Just moments later, a burglary alarm was triggered at the store. When officers arrived, they found the front of the building had been freshly destroyed. They tried to stop the driver of the excavator, later identified as 53-year-old Johnny Mesa Jr., but he refused to pull over. Mesa continued driving the excavator at only 3 mph for more than an hour. Officers followed slowly, making repeated loudspeaker announcements for him to stop. Charleston County deputies joined the effort, helping to block intersections. The pursuit ended when the excavator got stuck on Ladson Fairgrounds property. Mesa tried to flee on foot along nearby power lines, but a K-9 unit caught him. Business owners estimated the damage at over $10,000. Mesa was arrested and charged with failure to stop for a blue light, malicious injury to real property, and enhanced malicious injury to real property. He was booked into the Sheriff Al Cannon Detention Center.