A Columbia Falls teen is due in court June 15 for a hearing in a case where he is accused of stealing a car and leading law enforcement on a March 11 chase after officers were called to investigate him as the alleged perpetrator of a sexual assault.

Justin Rectenwald, 17, pleaded not guilty in April to one count of felony sexual intercourse without consent, one felony count of criminal endangerment, two misdemeanor counts of unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, one count of misdemeanor possession of dangerous drugs and one misdemeanor count of criminal mischief.

A jury trial is tentatively set for Aug. 8. Rectenwald’s case will go before Flathead District Judge David Ortley on June 15 to make sure the case is still on track.

According to court documents, Flathead County Sheriff’s deputies responded to a home outside Columbia Falls to investigate an alleged sexual assault in which Rectenwald was identified as the suspect.

A woman told deputies that Rectenwald had just taken her van without permission and fled the scene.

A deputy encountered the van on U.S. 2 and tried to stop it, but the patrol vehicle he was riding in would not go faster than 95 miles per hour and the van allegedly kept pulling ahead.

“The red van ran the red light at Rose Crossing and Highway 2 and was passing semi-trucks and multiple cars (using both lanes, the center turning lane, and the shoulder to pass vehicles in his way),” Prosecutor Caitlin Overland wrote in charging documents.

The van then allegedly proceeded through the intersection at U.S. 2 and Montana 35, jumped the curb and drove across the grass that borders Snappy Sport Senter.

The van allegedly continued east on Montana 35, swerving out of control, and went through the parking lot of the business complex located next to Lane’s Conoco and took down a fence.

The damage to vehicles and property from the chase exceeded $1,500, according to court documents.

Rectenwald was taken into custody. The alleged sexual assault victims were an 8-year-old boy and 4-year-old girl. The 8-year-old boy was interviewed and claimed that sometime when he was age 4, 5, or 6 Rectenwald had forced him to sexually assault the girl.

The case is a juvenile case and also encompasses allegations that Rectenwald was stopped on Dec. 10, 2015, by an officer and was allegedly found in possession of marijuana. He also allegedly took a van without permission and crashed into boulders in the Red Bridge Road area.

Rectenwald was released from custody until his trial.

Reporter Megan Strickland can be reached at 758-4459 or mstrickland@dailyinterlake.com.