HAZELWOOD • Anthony Minor had been out of jail barely more than a week when he crashed into a light standard Tuesday, killing the mother of his two children, while trying to elude police, according to police and jail records.

Police said Minor, 35, was trying to get away from police after stealing $40.50 in fabric softener and laundry detergent from a Family Dollar Store in Hazelwood.

The driver also likely bolted because of a pile of warrants for his arrest, said Hazelwood Police Chief Carl Wolf — eight for traffic-related charges, one for a failure to appear in court, and two for stealing.

Paramedics who helped the injured man found detergent bottles stuffed in his overalls, Wolf said. In all, the chief said, he swiped two 64-ounce bottles of fabric softener and four 72-ounce bottles of liquid detergent.

Fatally injured in the wreck was front-seat passenger Lashonda Lynette White, 35, of Berkeley. The couple's two children — a girl, 4, and boy, 2 — were restrained in car seats in the back seat. Relatives said the girl's right ear was nearly torn off and that her younger brother suffered bruises. Both children were released Wednesday from St. Louis Children's Hospital.

Minor, meanwhile, was listed in critical condition Wednesday at St. Louis University Hospital, where he underwent several operations for his injuries, according to White's relatives.

"He made an extremely stupid decision," Wolf said. "People have to learn to be responsible for their actions."

The crash happened at the North Hanley Road exit from Interstate 270. The discount store, in the 7400 block of North Lindbergh Boulevard, reported the theft about 1:15 p.m. Tuesday. Police tried to stop a silver Monte Carlo that matched the description of the thief's car, but it took off and later crashed. White was pronounced dead at a local hospital about five hours after the crash.

White lived in the 8400 block of Chalons Court in Berkeley. One of her younger sisters, Tracey White of Hazelwood, said Lashonda White worked as a certified nurse's aide and a medication aide and was the single mother of four children, ages 2 to 13. The two youngest were Minor's children.

"She will be missed truly," said Tracey White, a psychiatric social worker.

"She didn't come from a bad family. We grew up in the Central West End on Pershing in a two-parent family. She attended Cleveland High School and Ladue Middle School. She didn't smoke, she didn't drink, but she couldn't shake the father. She was trying to save the father of her children. She couldn't shake him out of her life," Tracey White said.

Minor was released Aug. 23 from St. Charles County Jail, where he had been held for all but 1 1/2 hours since June 16, according to jail personnel. He had been charged June 16 in a theft-related case and released Aug. 21. He was out of jail briefly that day, then he was returned to a jail for failure to appear in court in a theft case.

Minor also was held at the jail March 27 through April 20, also on theft-related charges, according to jail personnel.

Minor has an extensive criminal history that includes several drug- and theft-related charges, as well as charges either of or related to rape, burglary, assault, resisting arrest, arson, harassment, tampering and parole violations, Wolf said. Further, his drivers license was revoked in November 2008, Wolf said. Charges are pending in the fatal accident.

Police confirmed that the man who stole the detergent and softener was in the store with the 4-year-old girl. White and the 2-year-old boy stayed in the car, Wolf said.

A Hazelwood police officer tried to stop the car near Interstate 270 and Lindbergh. Wolf said the officer's dash camera shows the car putting on its brake lights and going off to the side, as if it was going to stop, but then speeding off.

The officer's supervisor told the patrolman not to chase the car because the case dealt with a shoplifting. The driver kept going, and the officer came upon the crash scene, Wolf said.

The little girl told relatives that police were shooting at the car, but Wolf said no shots were fired and that the noise the girl heard was probably due to a blown-out tire on the car.

Tracey White said that her sister loved her children. "She was a very loving mother and, unfortunately, she also loved their father, who did this senseless act and led to this pursuit and ultimately caused her to lose her life," she said.