by Dennis Dalman
editor@thenewsleaders.com
A stolen all-terrain vehicle has been reclaimed by its owner, and the man accused of stealing it was arrested Oct. 6.
Sauk Rapids police arrested Matthew John Wipper, 30, of Clear Lake in Sauk Rapids, and Wipper admitted to stealing the ATV from an unknown location between Rice and Sauk Rapids.
The 2004 Polaris 500 Sportsman had no registration numbers affixed to it, so police officers could not determine its rightful owner. The Benton County Sheriff’s Department and the Sauk Rapids Police Department issued a joint press release asking the public to call if anyone had any information. Someone did, and the owner – not identified by name – was notified.
About midnight Oct. 6, a Sauk Rapids resident called the police to report an unwanted male at the caller’s residence who had driven up on an ATV. The caller told police he believed the man had stolen the ATV. That information set in motion the steps that led to Wipper’s arrest.
Investigators are trying to determine if the theft of the ATV is related to an earlier burglary that also occurred Oct. 6 in the 1300 block of Little Rock Road NE in Watab Township, rural Rice. The homeowner of that residence returned home at about 9:20 p.m. that evening and noticed an unknown vehicle parked in his driveway. The homeowner then noticed the vehicle contained property that had been stolen from his home. It’s presumed the burglar fled on foot when he noticed the owner arriving at the home.
That incident occurred just two hours or so before Wipper’s arrest in Sauk Rapids. Investigators are trying to determine if the man, startled by the homeowner’s arrival at the Watab Township residence, fled on foot and then stole the ATV before driving to the Sauk Rapids residence.
This ATV was stolen, found and then returned to its owner.
