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 tricountycrimestoppers.org. Crime Stoppers offers rewards up to $1,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for a crime.
Dec. 20
7:57 a.m. Suspicious activity. Seventh Ave. S. Officers were requested to respond for a woman buzzing at the entrance door to get inside the apartment building. The officer responded and checked all three levels and garages and was unable to locate anyone matching that description.
Dec. 21
1:03 a.m.. Assist agency. 321st Street. Sartell officers were requested to assist Stearns County deputies by responding to a reported domestic. Sartell officers arrived on scene, separated both parties and kept things calm until deputies could arrive. After deputies arrived Sartell officers were cleared.
Dec. 22
3:02 a.m. Open door. St. John’s Court. An officer was dispatched to an open door at a residence that was found by a man who plows the driveway. The man told the officer he had tried calling the owners, but no one answered. The officer observed the door to be cracked open. The officer rang the doorbell and knocked several times, and then finally heard someone coming down the steps. The officer was able to confirm they were the homeowners by driver’s license. While the officer was talking to the homeowners, the door came open again. The homeowners assured the officer they were OK, and they would get the door fixed.
Dec. 23
11:47 p.m. Burglary. First St. NE. Officers were dispatched to a burglary alarm. As the first officer arrived on the scene, they communicated with responding officers that the front door glass was smashed. Footprints were followed from the scene, and a suspect was later located and taken into custody. The suspect was transported to the Benton County Jail.
Dec. 24
3:05 p.m. DWI. CR 1. While on routine patrol an officer witnessed a vehicle lose control and crash into the ditch. The officer stopped to check the driver and slow other vehicles down due to road conditions. While speaking to the male driver he showed signs of impairment. The man gave a preliminary breath test, which was higher than the legal limit. The man ultimately was arrested for DWI and taken to the Stearns County Jail.
Dec. 25
11:35 p.m. Suspicious vehicle. Riverside Avenue S. Officers were dispatched to the Rotary Park for a suspicious vehicle that had been there for the last 30 minutes. The complainant was concerned someone was stealing construction equipment. Officers arrived and met with Sartell city maintenance workers who were working on a lift-station alarm. The officer called the complainant back to inform them everything was OK.
Dec. 26
2:58 a.m. Burglary. 14th Avenue E. Officers were on scene for reports of multiple storage sheds having been broken into and locks had been changed. The storage unit renter told the officer he had not been to the unit since last fall. He is unaware of when the theft occurred. The renter filled out a stolen property form. This case is still under investigation and may be related to another case officers and investigators are working on.
Dec. 27
11:42 a.m. Parking violation. 16th Street S. An officer was requested to check the area for a vehicle parked the wrong way on the street and in front of a fire hydrant. The officer located the vehicle and noted it appeared to belong to an apartment building nearby. The officer contacted management and management was able to get ahold of the owner to have it moved immediately.
Dec. 28
12:02 p.m. Shoplifter. CR 120. An officer was requested for a female shoplifter who was switching tags. As the officer arrived, he saw loss prevention making contact with the woman, past the last point of sale. The woman had a child with her which was identified as a grandchild. The woman and child were escorted back to the officer inside the store. The woman told the officer it was the child’s fault, and he was to remind her of the items in a tote she forgot to pay for. In total the woman had stolen $386.35 in merchandise. The woman was escorted from the store and issued a citation for theft.
Dec. 29
2:14 a.m. Assist agency. Second Street S. A Sartell officer was dispatched to assist Minnesota State Patrol with a traffic stop on a vehicle that was slow to stop. The vehicle eventually pulled over and the Sartell officer arrived a short while later. The female driver was asked to perform field sobriety and ultimately placed under arrest for driving while impaired by State Patrol. The Sartell officer stood by for officer safety.
Dec. 30
5:17 p.m. Suspicious activity. CR 120. A Sartell officer was requested to respond to a business for a woman who thought she was being followed by a man. The woman told dispatch she was feeling nervous about a man who she thought was following her in the store. When the officer arrived, he met the woman and was told the woman thought it was strange but when she went to pay the man was still following her. The woman said she stopped in the vestibule making it look like she was going through her things and the man waited for her. Then when she finally exited the store, she told the officer the man finally left. She went to her car and put her merchandise in the car and came back to the store. The officer reviewed video and found the man was a delivery driver and he was still in the store. The officer was able to talk to the man and asked him not to do that again as he had scared the woman.
Dec. 31
7:31 p.m. Special detail. 19th Street S. Sartell Police Reserves assisted at the Country Lights Festival during the fireworks display. After the display, the Reserves monitored traffic flow for vehicles exiting the Sartell Community Center. They noted heavy traffic but no problems.
Jan. 1
12:32 a.m. DWI. Second Street S. Officers were requested for a vehicle accident in a business parking lot. The officers arrived and saw two vehicles, one that had been parked and another that had hit a parked car. The officers spoke to the driver, and she stated she had been drinking but was only moving the vehicle to a different parking spot. The officer asked the female driver if she was willing to perform field sobriety to confirm she was OK to drive, which she complied. The woman ultimately failed the tests and was arrested for DWI and booked at the Stearns County Jail.
Jan. 2
12:48 a.m. DWI. First Street NE. Dispatch requested officers respond to a business parking lot for a vehicle in the grass area revving its engine. The caller told dispatch she believed the driver was drunk because they were not actually on the parking lot area and every time the woman exited the vehicle she fell. Officers responded and found a van stuck in a snowbank. The female driver told the officer she slid into the snowbank after leaving a friend’s house because they had an argument. The officer noted a strong odor of alcoholic beverage emanating from her person, blood shot eyes and slurred speech. The officer asked the woman if she would consent to field sobriety, which she refused. The woman was placed under arrest for DWI. Test results proved the woman to be over the legal limit. The woman was transported to the Benton County Jail.
