A suspect in a stolen excavator led police officers on a one-hour slow-speed chase in South Carolina.

The pursuit began early on Sunday morning, June 8, around 3 am, when North Charleston police spotted a Komatsu excavator crossing US 78 near Los Tienda Mexicana, a Hispanic grocery store.

Moments later, a burglary alarm was triggered at the shop.

When officers arrived, they found the front of the building had been freshly destroyed.

They tried to stop the driver of the heavy equipment, later identified as Johnny Mesa Jr., 53, but he refused to pull over.

Johnny continued driving the excavator at only 3 mph for over an hour. Officers followed slowly, making repeated announcements over loudspeakers, urging him to stop.

Charleston County deputies joined the effort and helped block intersections.

The slow-speed chase ended when the excavator became stuck on the Ladson Fairgrounds property. Johnny then tried to flee on foot along nearby power lines, but a K-9 unit apprehended him.

Business owners estimated the damage to be more than $10,000.

Johnny 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.