Stearns County Sheriff’s Office weekly newsletter

Steve Soyka – Sheriff, Dan Miller – Chief Deputy

Fires

Winter and fire go together, but not perhaps in the way you are thinking. No, this won’t be a story about how I spent my Christmas keeping warm or roasting chestnuts. For those in law enforcement and the fire service, it far too often means responding to more fire calls. The Stearns County Sheriff’s Office has responded to several fire calls over the last couple of weeks. Deputy Dennis Heinen responded to a fire on Jan. 16 in Luxemburg Twp. A passerby notified the homeowner in the 14000 block of Co. Rd. 165 that his work shed was on fire. The owner notified the Emergency Communications Center. He walked out and felt the shed, which he found hot to the touch so he did not open it. The Eden Valley Fire Department, Watkins Ambulance and Kimball Fire Department responded. When Deputy Heinen arrived on scene, the work shed was fully engulfed in flames. The owner reported he had numerous tools in the shed and valued them at approximately $10,000.  He also had a lawn mower inside valued at $1,500. The shed had not been used for about a week, along with a wood stove inside. The owner had taken the additional preventive step of turning off all of the breakers as well. Again, the exact cause of this fire is unknown, and no one was injured. Winter can stress us out physically and mentally. Can it cause some stress on buildings? Maybe. Certainly, attempts to keep warm or utilize these structures in colder temps come with their own unique issues. Let’s hope spring comes quick.

Dumping complaint  

On Nov. 28, 2024, Deputy Amanda Isenberg responded to a dumping complaint in St. Augusta in the 22000 block of 28th Ave. in St. Augusta. The landowner had also submitted a tip via our online process the night before and included video of the offending dumper. The picture shows an older dark blue Dodge Durango pulling a trailer full of items southbound on 28th Ave. All of seven minutes later, the Durango and now empty trailer are headed back north. Left behind were numerous household items: a washer and dryer, kitchen chairs, a bag of garbage, and maybe a dresser. The trailer appears to have larger tires and a black metal frame with a ramp. The sides of the trailer appear to possibly be a wood frame or insert. The Durango has rust damage under the driver’s door and gas cap area. The passenger side door has a metal stripe that is slightly bent down. Sadly, the license plate is not readable. If the vehicle or trailer look familiar, please let us know, as we would like a word with the owner, (320) 259-3700.

Thefts

Have you ever felt the panic of a misplaced cell phone? Worse yet, have you had yours stolen? Deputy Scott Fischer took a stolen cell phone complaint on Jan. 8 at the Love’s station in Rockville. An employee approached him and reported that her phone was missing, and she believed it was stolen. The phone was an iPhone 16 Pro Max valued at $1599. The employee set her phone on a counter, and at 3:40 a.m. a female is seen on video picking it up and leaving. The female left with a male she was with a short time later. Deputy Fischer went off shift at 5 p.m. and 12 minutes later, the victim called  dispatch, and said she was now able to track her phone, which pinged at an address in St. Cloud. She was connected to a St. Cloud Police officer to assist her, but the phone was not recovered. Now, this next part I would not recommend.Several minutes later, her phone pinged at a CVS in St. Cloud. So the victim went there and spoke to a lady she thought had information on the theft. That person denied being at Love’s that morning. Oddly enough, within 30 minutes Love’s staff called the victim and let her know her phone had been found and returned. Deputy Fischer has continued to look for the individuals from the store, pictured here, but to no avail. If you know who either of them might be, we would be interested in speaking with them to see what they may know about this case. If you have any information on this matter, please call (320) 259-3700.

Deputy Mason Platz took a theft report at Powder Ridge Ski Resort in Maine Prairie Twp. on Jan. 12. The young victim/owner had been snowboarding on Jan. 11, and had gone inside the chalet. He placed his 2022 Capita DOA snowboard near the stairs, and when he returned to use it, it was gone. The board is white, with gray on one end, and neon trim around the edge. The board was valued at $440 and the bandings at $275. If you have any information on this matter, please call (320) 259-3700.