Crime & Safety News

A new online service giving property owners a way to avoid falling victim to property fraud is now available through Stearns County Recording Services. Land Notification, a website that allows property owners to monitor their name or a parcel of land for real estate activity, has been created to help prevent mortgage and real estate…

Stearns County Deputies Craig Pogatshnik and Dennis Kern responded to a couple of thefts from fish houses during the first week of February. Both of these thefts occurred on Pearl Lake in Maine Prairie Township. Deputy Pogatshnik took the first theft Feb. 4. This house had been broken into overnight and the owner was missing…

On Feb. 11, Deputy Aaron Wells responded to a shed fire in the 18000 block of 260th Street in Collegeville Township. The caller, a passerby, reported the fire to the Stearns County Sheriff’s Office at 11:44 a.m. The caller also made contact with the property owner. The shed was approximately 30×46 and was 100 feet…

Deputies Mitch Preusse, Dennis Heinen, and Brandon Merkling responded to an injury crash on Sunday, Feb. 7, just before midnight. A passerby reported finding a car on its roof, heavily damaged, lights on, and no one around. The deputies arrived on scene and observed a set of footprints leaving the area. After some checking they…

2020 has been difficult to say the least, but it has been very lucrative for criminals in the cyber, scam, and fraud world. In fact, it has been their best year ever, and they are expected to clear a trillion dollars worldwide. I am doing this public service announcement to educate all of you and…

Date, Time, Call, Location: Disposition (The remainder of this past week’s blotter will be included in next week’s paper, as it was not yet available before press time because of the government holiday.) 02/11/21, 06:09 am, Fire, 4th St N, City of Watkins: Clear. 02/11/21, 07:44 am, OFP Violation, US Hwy 12, Darwin Twp: Unfounded.…

By Brian Rudolph and Rhonda Whitenack Social Security Public Affairs Specialists, Minnesota and Northern Wisconsin Scammers are always finding new ways to steal your money and personal information by exploiting your fears. The most effective way to defeat scammers is to know how to identify scams and to ignore suspicious calls and emails. One common…

Feb. 6, Terrance Lee Schrupp, 62 of Maple Lake, was arrested in Maple Lake on the charge of second-degree DWI. Feb. 5, Garrett James Vanzant, 23 of Maple Lake, was arrested in Maple Lake on a Wright County warrant for a liquor violation. Feb. 5, Scott Andrew Gunderson, 41 of Annandale, was arrested in Annandale…

On Jan. 20, Deputy Shirley Zwack responded to a report of an Ice Castle fish house theft at Outlook Recreation in Lynden Township. The fish house had been taken sometime overnight after 7 p.m. and prior to it being discovered missing at 6 a.m. Jan. 20. The fish house is a 2021 blue Ice Castle…

At 6:10 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 27, a Meeker County Deputy observed a Ford F350 driven by Dustin Nelson, 36 of Litchfield, who was wanted for multiple violations of a Domestic Abuse No-Contact Order on 295th Street in Forest City Township. The deputy attempted to stop Nelson but he fled. Nelson led deputies on a 23-mile…