A man is in custody after getting caught trying to steal alcohol from a lincoln grocery store.

According to Captain Chris Peterson, an off duty Lincoln police officer was shopping inside the Russ's Market near 66th & O streets around 10:30pm Sunday. While inside, he witnessed a man shoplift a bottle of alcohol.

Peterson says the officer called police to report the theft, then followed the man, who left in a van. A short while later, a cruiser attempted to make a traffic stop on the van but the man fled up towards the Havelock area. The chase lasted five minutes before police called it off due to high speeds.

Peterson says the van was caught around 11:30pm by Nebraska State Patrol and Lancaster County Sheriff's Deputies when they found it on Interstate-80 at the Waverly interchange, stuck in the mud.

Peterson adds that officers later discovered the van was stolen from Union Pacific property in Fremont.

Peterson says officers took a woman passenger into custody as well as the male driver. The woman's identity was not available and the man is identified as 37-year-old Patrick Howley of Fremont. Howley was charged with shoplifting and fleeing.