If you have a tip concerning a crime, call the Sartell Police Department at 320-251-8186 or Tri-County Crime Stoppers at 320-255-1301, or access its tip site at www.tricountycrimestoppers.org. Crime Stoppers offers rewards up to $1,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for a crime. This information is submitted by the Sartell Police Department.
April 26
7:45 p.m. Traffic stop. CR 120. While on patrol, an officer located a vehicle being operated by a driver who had a license status of revoked. The driver was issued a citation for driving after revocation and the passenger was asked to drive the vehicle from the scene.
6 a.m. Traffic accident. Highway 15. Officers were dispatched to the Bridge of Hope on Highway 15 for multiple crashes on the bridge. It was determined that the bridge was very icy from rain and freezing temperatures. Officers assisted with traffic control until the vehicles could be removed from the roadway and the icy conditions treated with road salt.
April 27
3:51 p.m. Juvenile problem. Brookwood Lane. Officers were dispatched for a juvenile who was out of control and making suicidal comments. After speaking with the juvenile and parents, it was determined the juvenile needed to be transported for an evaluation. Officers transported the juvenile to a hospital without incident.
April 28
3:07 a.m. Suspicious vehicle. CR 120. Officers were dispatched for multiple vehicles and people in the parking lot of a local business after hours. Officers located and spoke with the individuals who stated they were waiting for the business to open so they could purchase food. Officers directed the individuals to a nearby business that was open where they could purchase food.
10:40 p.m. Medical. CR 120/Pinecone Road S. Officers were dispatched to the area for a report of a person driving who was possibly having an asthma attack. Officers located the vehicle pulled to the side of the road and administered oxygen to the driver until paramedics arrived and transported the person to the hospital.
April 29
1:49 a.m. DWI. Highway 10/CR 33. While on patrol, an officer was following a vehicle when the driver threw their cigarette butt out the window. After conducting a traffic stop, it was determined the driver was impaired. The driver failed field sobriety testing and blew a PBT of .10. The driver was arrested and transported to jail on charges of 4th degree DWI and .08 within 2 hours.
3:22 p.m. Cheval Drive. Burglary. Officers were dispatched for a report of a burglary that had taken place at a residence. Officers arrived and located a door that had signs of forced entry. Officer cleared the house and located no one inside. The homeowner was advised to complete a list of items missing. Investigation is ongoing.
April 30
2:39 p.m. Juvenile problem. Fifth Avenue N./Seventh Street N. Officers were dispatched to the area for a report of a person seen pitching a tent in the woods nearby. Officers spoke with the person who was a juvenile. They advised that they wanted to pretend that they were camping and had started a small fire. The juvenile was escorted home by officers and explained the dangers of starting fires.
7:56 p.m. Domestic in progress. Seventh Street N. Officers were dispatched for a possible physical domestic disturbance in progress. Upon arrival, it was determined that no one was hurt but the argument did get physical. Neither party involved wanted charges pressed. Officers spoke with both parties about their options related to domestic violence and how to better handle a disagreement.
May 1
12:43 p.m. DWI. Pinecone Road S/15th Street S. Officers were dispatched for a vehicle crash. It was reported that the vehicle ran over 4 trees. Officers spoke with the driver and learned they were intoxicated. The driver failed field sobriety testing and blew a PBT of .15. The driver was transported to jail with charges of 3rd degree DWI and .08 or more within 2 hours. The vehicle was removed from the scene.
May 2
9:57 a.m. Traffic accident. 1900 block of Connecticut Avenue S. Officers were dispatched for a vehicle that had crashed into another vehicle in a parking lot of a local business. After further investigation, it was determined that the driver of one vehicle hit the other while backing out of a parking stall. Officers assisted both parties with exchanging information.
3:56 p.m. Building fire. 200 block of Riverside Avenue N. Officers and Sartell Fire Department were dispatched to a local business for a report of a fire. Upon arrival, officers located smoke coming from inside the building and people evacuating. It was determined that the fire started in a machine inside the building. The fire department extinguished the fire and the scene was cleared for re-entry shortly after.
Submitted by the Stearns County Sheriff’s Office
May 12
5:07 a.m. Fire. 6494 CR 3 in Brockway Township. The Stearns County Sheriff’s Office was notified of a fire. The St. Stephen Fire Department responded and found a large amount of corn stalk bales on fire. The corn stalks were located away from the buildings on the property. The pile of corn stalks required a back hoe to be brought to the property to break them apart to put them out. The property is owned by a male resident, 42, of St. Stephen. No injuries or damage other than the corn stalks were reported. The St. Stephen Fire Department was assisted by the Rice and Sartell fire departments with putting out the fire.
Submitted by the St. Cloud Police Department
May 3
Theft. A Nichole Renee Zachow, 45 of Cold Spring, was arrested today after an investigation was conducted into a theft complaint. The police department had originally taken a theft complaint from the victims back in April, and throughout the investigation, the officer was able to name Zachow, employed by “Over the Top Cleaners” as a possible suspect due to similar types of complaints in 2016 taken by the same officer. Through the use of surveillance equipment, the police department was able to catch Zachow in the act of stealing prescription medication from the victims home today, while she was there to clean the client’s home. Zachow is a suspect in several thefts in Sartell, St. Cloud, Cold Spring and Stearns County. The investigation also revealed Zachow also goes by the name of Nichole Johnstone. Zachow was taken to the Stearns County Jail, and is facing charges of felony theft.
The St. Cloud Police Department encourages homeowners to be cautious when allowing cleaning services to be at their homes without being present. Homeowners should conduct some type of background check on businesses they are hiring to clean their home, or be at home when workers are present, to prevent similar types of incidents.
Anyone with information regarding the above incident is urged to contact the St. Cloud Police Department at 320-251-1200, or Tri-County Crime Stoppers at 320-255-1301,1-800-255-1301 or at www.tricountycrimestoppers.org.