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.
April 25
10:19 a.m. Assist person. Pinecone Road S. A man came into the Sartell Police Department and asked if there was a spare handcuff key laying around. When questioned why he needed a handcuff key, the man raised his hand displaying a locked handcuff on one wrist. The man told the officer he had lost his key. The officer assisted the man in removing the handcuff from his wrist.
April 26
10:53 p.m. Open door. Fourth Street N. While an officer was on routine patrol, they noticed a garage door open that was facing the roadway. The officer noted the garage light was on causing valuable items to be plain sight. The officer made contact with the homeowner via a Ring doorbell. The homeowner advised they had forgotten to shut it and thanked the officer. The garage door was secured.
April 27
3:16 a.m. Suspicious vehicle. Second Street S. While on patrol, an officer saw a dark-colored SUV leave the Sartell mobile home park without headlights on and pull into the adjacent business parking lot. The officer turned around to check on the vehicle. The officer found the vehicle parked near the front doors of the business, occupied by one male driver. The officer made contact with the man, and he advised he didn’t have cell service and was stealing their free Wi-Fi. The man was advised to do what he needed but then to move along.
April 28
3:23 p.m. Abandon vehicle. 12th Street N. An officer was called to an abandoned vehicle in front of the caller’s home. The officer arrived and found the vehicle legally parked on the road. The caller told the officer the owner approached him Tuesday night saying his vehicle broke down and he would have it towed the next day. The caller hasn’t seen the owner since. The officer found a phone number for the registered owner, but when calling the number, it stated it’s not accepting phone calls. The officer marked the vehicle tires and started the 72-hour parking. On May 2, the vehicle was towed from the roadway.
April 29
4:52 p.m. Shoplifting. CF 120. An officer was dispatched to a shoplifter at a business. The complainant reported two men had bagged up some sport- and Pokémon-style trading cards near the register and left the store without paying for them. The men can be seen entering a vehicle with the bag of cards. The officer responded to the registered owner’s address of the vehicle. The men were not home at the time. A short time later, the officer was notified the St. Cloud Police Department had caught the same men shoplifting at a business. The men were detained, and the officer responded. The men would not tell the officer where the cards were from the Sartell store; officers did locate one box in their vehicle. Both men were cited for misdemeanor theft charges and verbally told to leave the store.
April 30
6:43 a.m. Suspicious activity. Brianna Drive. Officers were dispatched to gunshots being heard. The complainant reported she was going to work and heard what sounded like a gunshot and a black sedan leaving the area. She reported she saw a baseball-sized spot smoking on the ground at the parking-lot entrance. Officers arrived and checked all around the area and did not locate anything suspicious. The officers attempted to call the woman back multiple times but were not able to make contact.
May 1
10:04 a.m. Traffic stop. Pinecone Road N. An officer was doing routine traffic patrol when a vehicle southbound on Pinecone was traveling at a high rate of speed. The officer received a reading of 65 mph and then the vehicle started to slow. The radar locked the vehicle in at 61 mph in a 40-mph zone. The officer stopped the vehicle and spoke to the driver. The male driver was cited for speed.
May 2
11:22 a.m. Trespassing. Benton Drive. While on routine patrol, an officer observed a man fishing on an icebreaker near the dam. The officer located a vehicle parked nearby but noted the man would have had to cross BNSF property to gain access to the river, which is not allowed. The officer made contact with the man; the officer advised where the man was fishing was dangerous and he was also trespassing. The man agreed to pack up and leave the area.
May 3
9:07 a.m. Parking violation. Brianna Drive. An officer was given a parking complaint sent from City Hall. The officer located the vehicle on the north side of the roadway. The registered owner didn’t have a local address, but the officer was able to find a phone number for the owner. The officer called and left a message about moving the vehicle because it was past the 72-hour parking limitation. The man called the officer back stating he would get the car moved that night.
May 4
11:29 p.m. Suspicious vehicle. Riverside Avenue. While on routine patrol, an officer found a vehicle parked in a closed city park near the splash pad. No one was around the vehicle. The officer checked the park with the NOPTIC camera and located a man and woman walking from the area of the pavilion. The officer spoke to them and advised them the park was closed. They said they were hanging out and would leave.
May 5
12:50 a.m. Assist agency. CR 120. A Sartell officer was requested to assist Stearns County on a 911 hang up. A woman called in stating she needed a man and a woman removed from her home. The woman was not fully cooperative with dispatch. The Sartell officer arrived and knocked on the door. The officer asked to speak to the woman, and she yelled at him that she was in bed and slammed the door shut and locked it. A Stearns County deputy arrived and tried to make contact; the woman again opened the door, said she was fine, slammed the door shut and locked the door again.
May 6
7:23 p.m. Verbal. Roberts Road. Officers were dispatched to a verbal dispute about a child. Officers were told a vehicle involved left at a high rate of speed. When the officers arrived and as they were looking for the vehicle described, they saw it arriving on scene. An officer spoke to the male driver; he stated it was only a verbal argument with the mother of his child. Another officer spoke to the woman who came outside; she told the officer she did all the yelling because the man had his window up. Both parties agreed to be civil and were planning on going home.
May 7
10:49 p.m. Shoplifting. CR 120. Officers were called to a business for a woman and man shoplifting that did not stop for loss prevention. Loss prevention was able to get a license plate that matched the description of the vehicle given. A short time later State Patrol located the vehicle and made a traffic stop. The man and woman were detained for shoplifting, and while searching the vehicle stolen merchandise was found along with drugs, paraphernalia and shoplifting tools. The woman was transported to the Stearns County Jail and book and released for misdemeanor theft. The man was transported to the Stearns County Jail and held on misdemeanor theft, possession of shoplifting gear, possession of drug paraphernalia and third-degree possession charges.
May 8
8:43 p.m. Assist person. Fifth Street N. An officer was requested to respond to a residence for an older woman who has poor vision and had a security alert on her cellphone that concerned her. Upon arrival, the officer met with the woman who provided the officer her unlocked cell phone. There was a prompt from Apple to do a security system update. The woman asked the officer to process the update, which he did.
