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.
Feb. 22
4:46 a.m. Assist person. Sundance Road. A plow driver called dispatch for an elderly man having trouble getting inside a building. An officer responded and the man informed the officer he had forgotten his key to get into the building. The officer assisted the man with getting through the vestibule doors and into the building. The maln had the key to his apartment door. Nothing further by the officer.
Feb. 23
3:52 p.m. Assist business. Le Sauk Drive. An officer received a call from a business requesting a vehicle be checked on; they had some concerns it may be stolen. The officer arrived on scene and ran the vehicle’s information, the vehicle was not stolen and there were no flags on it. The officer informed the complainant of such.
Feb. 24
1:37 a.m. Unknown. Knickerbocker Court. Dispatch received an unknown call at a residence. Dispatch stated they got an automated message saying someone needed help. Dispatch called the number back and got a child on the phone. The child told dispatch their dog ran away and their mom was at work. When the officers arrived on scene, they found the child had taken the phone from a sleeping adult in the home. The adult didn’t know the child was up. The officers spoke to the adult and the child about proper use of 911.
Feb. 25
12:21 a.m. Citizen contact. Roberts Road. While an officer was on routine patrol, they witnessed a person park their vehicle on the roadway. It was noticed the vehicle was parked facing the wrong direction, in a turn lane and would soon be in violation of winter parking. The officer made contact with the driver. The driver stated they would move the car.
Feb. 26
2:01 a.m. Assist agency. River Vista Lane. A Sartell officer was requested to first respond to a suspicious vehicle call. The officer arrived and found a vehicle to be parked between two houses on what would have been the owner’s lawn. The officer noted no one was in the vehicle and shoe prints in the snow went both directions. The officer and deputy checked the area. The caller informed the officer they think the driver was picked up prior to law enforcement’s arrival. Stearns County had the vehicle towed and Sartell cleared the scene.
Feb. 27
10 a.m. Slump. CR 120. Dispatch received a call on a woman slumped over in her vehicle. When the officer arrived, the woman lifted her head and looked at him. The officer made contact with the woman who stated she was taking a nap before going into the store. The woman stated she has a heart condition, and it was not uncommon for her to take naps during the day. The officer asked her if she was on medications for her condition, which she stated she was. The driver denied using any other kind of chemicals. While the officer was speaking to the woman, he requested dispatch to run the woman’s name. The officer was informed the woman had a felony warrant out of Benton County for fifth-degree controlled substance. The officer took the woman into custody without any problems and transported her to the Benton County Jail.
Feb. 28
9:26 a.m. Fraud. 17th Street N. An officer was requested to call the complainant about a fraud. The officer learned the family had filed their taxes the week prior and were just informed someone unknown to them had used their 6-year-old child’s social security number for tax purposes. The parent said it will not affect their taxes and the person who used their daughter’s social security number will get theirs kicked back. They however wanted it reported for documentation purposes.
March 1
6:19 p.m. Found property. 19th Avenue N. An officer was dispatched for found property. A male stated he had found keys in a snowbank and stated they appeared to have been there awhile. The officer went to the man’s home and retrieved the keys. The officer noted the key fob was for a Hyundai and a house key. The officer placed the keys in found property at the police department.
March 2
11:29 p.m. Information. Pinecone Road S. An officer was dispatched to a business for a report of a man who was trying to flag people down. The caller was a passerby who did not stop. While the officer was in the area, the man flagged him down. The man explained he had run out of gas and coasted into the parking lot next to the pumps. Neither the man or the woman had a credit card to pay at the pumps and only had cash, but the gas station was closed. The officer offered to drive the man to a nearby gas station since the man had a gas can. Once the man got gas, the officer drove him back to the vehicle. Nothing further.
March 3
4:40 p.m. Driving complaint. Hwy 15/CR 120. The officer was dispatched to look for a possible intoxicated driver traveling north on Leander. The registered owner’s address was nearby, where the caller advised the last location, they saw the vehicle was turning. The officer arrived in the area and found the vehicle parked outside the registered owner’s address. The officer buzzed the registered owner’s apartment but got no response. The officer was unable to contact anyone.
March 4
1:52 p.m. Vehicle tampering. Amber Avenue S. A woman came to the Sartell Police Department and requested to speak to an officer about a vehicle that was being tampered with. The woman told the officer rubber trim on the bottom of the vehicle window appears someone had been using a knife to cut into it. The woman did not have any suspects and didn’t think anyone was mad at her. The woman stated she spoke to management and the events were not on camera. No further action unless more information is received.
March 5
6:44 p.m. Shoplifting. CR 120. An officer was dispatched to respond to a business for a cooperative woman shoplifter. The officer arrived and met with the woman and loss prevention in the loss-prevention office. The woman told the officer she was sleep deprived and did not mean to under ring the merchandise. The theft total was $66.08. The officer issued the woman a citation and explained it to her. The officer received store video and report and entered them into evidence. The woman was allowed to leave once the business had completed their paperwork.
March 6
3:28 p.m. Information. Ridge Road. Dispatch sent an officer to a complaint of a suspicious smell. The officer was informed by the caller they thought maybe a vehicle was leaking gas. The officer arrived on scene and could faintly smell a gasoline odor. The officer checked the vehicle and there was no gas leaking. The officer could see there was a gas or oily type of film on the water that was pooling outside the driveway. The officer could see discoloration on the street where the substance had flowed down the road. The officer was unable to determine the cause. The officer informed the caller they would have the fire chief follow up. Fire chief monitored the area but was unable to detect any gas smells.
March 7
1:36 p.m. Warrant. Seventh Street N. While an officer was on routine patrol, he recognized a vehicle outside a residence he knew belonged to a person with an active felony warrant. The officer approached the vehicle and the people around the vehicle in the parking spot. The officer gave loud and clear verbal commands to the man to step away from the vehicle and get on the ground. The man complied and the officer was able to handcuff the man behind his back without issue. The officer directed the other two persons with the man to stay within view and they complied. The man was transported to the Stearns County Jail to be booked and held for court.
March 8
12:01 a.m. Noise. Seventh Avenue S. Officers were dispatched to a noise complaint. The caller reported the neighbors were stomping and moving furniture and that it was an ongoing problem. The officer spoke to the renter, and he stated he had been walking around and took a shower. The officer had noted when they arrived, they heard no noise. The man stated he had given his number to the downstairs neighbor trying to be considerate, if there was a noise problem. The officer spoke to the caller, and she stated she would work with management.
March 9
11:51 p.m. Verbal dispute. Seventh Avenue S. Officers responded for a man, who was disorderly inside a residence. Dispatch informed officers they could hear yelling in the background. The man told officers he was upset at his girlfriend and her sister for bringing up his past. The officers found the man did have residency at the address. The man requested a ride to his sister’s house in St. Cloud. The on-duty supervisor approved the transport as there were no other options at the time and this would help defuse the situation.
March 10
9:26 a.m. Stolen vehicle. Pinecone Road S. Dispatch requested officers respond to a suspicious vehicle at a business. The officer arrived on scene and noted the vehicle was oddly parked and had no license plates. Further investigation revealed the vehicle’s VIN number was covered, it had been spray-painted black and the passenger side window was broken out. The car had food, garbage, steak knife and the keys were left in the ignition in the on position. The officers found an insurance card in the vehicle and ran the VIN on the card. It came back as a stolen vehicle out of Anoka on Feb. 9. The business was reviewing video to try and get a description of the person who left the vehicle there. An investigator responded to the location to swab the vehicle for evidence. The owner of the vehicle was notified, and the vehicle was towed to a nearby tow lot.
March 11
1:30 p.m. Verbal dispute. Amber Avenue S. Officers were dispatched to a verbal dispute and the parties were currently separated. The officer met the woman at a nearby location where she told the officer she and a man had been arguing all day. She went to leave, and the man took her purse and keys; she had a spare set of keys and still left. The woman told the officer nothing physical happened, but she wanted help getting her property back. While speaking to the officer the man texted the woman stating he was sorry, and that she should come and get her purse. The officer told the woman they would escort her to get the property. The officer had both parties ran through dispatch and it was found the man had three warrants for his arrest. When they arrived at the apartment the man was still there, and officers advised him of his warrants. The man was detained. After being cleared by medical staff, the man was brought to the Stearns County Jail and booked for his warrants.
March 12
1:29 a.m. Assist agency. Benton Drive. Two Sartell officers were requested to assist Sauk Rapids Police Department with a possible burglary. A male suspect with a warrant was believed to be the suspect and a window was broken out on the house. The Sartell officers assisted with perimeter while other officers searched the home. The home was found to be empty; and Sartell officers were cleared.
March 13
11:46 a.m. Found property. 12th Avenue S. An officer was requested to stop by an apartment for found property. An officer stopped and spoke to a man who was cleaning an apartment out for a family member. He had come across a small baggie of marijuana and wanted to turn it over to the officer. He also asked the officer where he could drop medications off at. The officer took both the marijuana and the medications. The medications were placed in the medication drop box in the police department lobby and the marijuana was destroyed.
March 14
2:44 a.m. Suspicious activity. Pheasant Crest Loop. An officer was dispatched to the area as a complainant stated she heard people knocking on her door. She also stated there was a vehicle in front of her house with the rear hatch open. The officer arrived in the area and did not see anyone around. The officer located the mentioned vehicle that was parked in the community parking area with the rear hatch open. The vehicle was cold, and no one was around. The officer closed the hatch and the vehicle appeared to not be related. A short time later, the caller called back because she heard more knocking. Since the last time the officer was there it had started snowing, the officer did not find any fresh tracks in the snow. The officer assured the complainant everything was OK and there were no tracks in the snow.
