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.
May 9
8:57 a.m. Stolen vehicle. Troop Drive. An officer was requested to call a male party who wanted to report his vehicle stolen from his place of employment. The man told the officer he was behind three months on payments for his vehicle. A man showed up to his work and told him he was there to take possession of the vehicle. The man showed him something on his phone and had him sign it. The man allowed him to clean the vehicle out then drove away with it. The caller told the officer he followed up with his finance company who stated they did not have it repossessed. The officer was able to make a few calls and confirmed the vehicle was repossessed and not stolen. The caller was notified.
May 10
11:19 a.m. Escort. Seventh Street N. Officers were requested to assist with cheering on the second-graders as they walked from Riverview to Pine Meadow, a yearly tradition at the end of the school year.
May 11
5:01 p.m. Assist person. Heritage Drive. An officer was requested to call a woman about a call she got from border patrol. The woman told the officer she received a call and was being accused of money laundering because she recently ordered a T-shirt online. The caller told the woman they had found money and drugs in the T-shirt package she had ordered. The woman told the officer she answered questions the man was asking, but never gave bank account information. The woman told the officer she was nervous someone was coming over to arrest her. The officer informed the woman she had received a scam call, and they were phishing for information. The officer confirmed border patrol wouldn’t be arresting her or ever call her requesting money from her.
May 12
9:15 p.m. Fireworks. Second Avenue N. Officers were dispatched to a complaint of fireworks or gunshots. Officers arrived in the area and found people launching fireworks from their driveway. The officer observed an aerial firework being shot off. The officer made contact with the homeowner; the man admitted he knew the fireworks were illegal, but it was Friday, and they were celebrating because he loves America. The officer explained there had been several complaints in this area about fireworks and it was an ongoing issue. The officer told the homeowner if they needed to respond back they would be cited for illegal fireworks. The two remaining fireworks were confiscated and destroyed.
May 13
8:48 p.m. Driving complaint. Davenport Court. Officers were dispatched to a report of a driving complaint. The caller reported a blue sports car and two other darker vehicles were doing burnouts in the area. The area was checked but vehicles were not located at the time. The officer assigned an extra patrol for the area due to the reports. The officer was still in the area and could hear sounds of a vehicle accelerating rapidly near Seventh Avenue S. The officer then witnessed a dark-colored car rapidly catching up to another vehicle. The officer conducted a traffic stop on the vehicle and ultimately the driver was cited for failure to drive with due care.
May 14
12:03 p.m. Suspicious activity. Riverside Avenue. Officers located two vehicles parked inside a wash bay at a business. Officers observed car doors were open and no one appeared to be moving around or washing vehicles. After not seeing movement for a while, the officer checked on the vehicles and located two men working on a wiring issue on the trunk of a car. All was OK, so the officer cleared.
May 15
11:57 a.m. Driving complaint. Fourth Avenue N. A man came to the Sartell Police Department and requested to speak to an officer regarding driving complaints. The man met with an officer and supplied pictures and videos of an older dark Cadillac sedan doing burn outs. The man is concerned about the ongoing reckless driving and stated he worries about kids and other people in the neighborhood. The officer knew who the vehicle was registered to and responded to the home. No one answered, but the officer was able to locate the vehicle at another location. The officer spoke to the male driver about the driving conduct; the man stated he knew it was immature but felt he was driving in a “safe manner.” The man didn’t agree with the officer’s verbal warning of reckless driving. The officer followed up with the man’s mother, who said she would talk to him.
May 16
9:33 a.m. Fraud. First Avenue N. The complainant came into the Sartell Police Department to report a fraud scam where she paid $600 to different PayPal accounts for Taylor Swift tickets. She told the man she had been interacting with on Facebook Marketplace she was going to report it to a local police department; he told her to go right ahead. The woman told the officer she had been communicating with the man for a few days, and then today she had sent the money. The man only sent one ticket and stated he wouldn’t send the remaining three tickets until he got more money. The woman didn’t think the one ticket the man sent was even a valid ticket. The officer told the woman to check if the ticket was valid via Ticketmaster, and if it wasn’t, to file a fraud complaint with PayPal.
May 17
10:56 p.m. Noise. Seventh Street N. An officer was requested for a noise complaint that a construction person was doing some kind of work causing a lot of noise. The officer spoke to the worker, and he was informed the parking lot had just been redone and he was hired to paint the lines. He had an employee get called away which delayed the job, and he was just trying to make up time. The officer explained the noise ordinance and the man stated he understood and would come back in the morning.
May 18
2:06 p.m. Assist business. CR 120. Officers were requested to assist a business with three unwanted women. The three women were in the store. One was riding in a shopping cart and was asked to get out; that woman immediately became verbally aggressive with staff. When the officers arrived, the women were still in the store, and located at the self-checkout area. They were again told to leave, and they stated they would once they had paid. The manager informed them they were past that point and needed to leave immediately. The same woman became verbal again and was upset she was pointed out to the officers. She eventually left the store, and the other two women spoke to the manager. The officer stayed on scene until the three women left the property.
May 19
11:33 p.m. Welfare check. Second Street S. While an officer was en route to a call, they passed a business and observed someone lying on the ground in the parking lot with multiple people around them. The officer was unsure if they witnessed an intoxicated person or a possible assault and turned around to check on them. The officer located a heavily intoxicated woman and she reported she laid down because she was feeling dizzy and nauseous. The woman declined medical treatment and her friends assured the officer they were taking care of her. The friends appeared more sober and had a sober ride coming.
May 20
6:11 a.m. Special detail. Seventh Street N. Sartell officers and Sartell reserves assisted in the Apple Duathlon race. They provided traffic control for the event without issues.
May 21
7:42 a.m. Suspicious vehicle. 17th Street N. An officer was dispatched to a suspicious vehicle. The officer arrived and made contact with the complainant. He informed the officer there was a vehicle all the way at the end of the road tucked in behind some trees, and thought it was suspicious because he hadn’t seen the vehicle before. The officer was able to locate an unoccupied Suburban. The registered owner was out of the metro; the officer called the registered owner. The registered owner answered and informed the officer he was turkey hunting on the property.
May 22
3:41 p.m. Crash. Pinecone Road N. An officer was requested for a two-vehicle crash. The officer arrived on scene and noted both vehicles were northbound, and it appeared to be a chain-reaction crash as vehicles in front had rapidly braked. The officer assisted with drivers exchanging information and took photos. Both vehicles were able to drive away from the scene.
