CRIME & SAFETY

(Clara City MN-) The Chippewa County Sheriff's Department says the death of a man in Clara City in July has been ruled an accidental drug overdose. On July 25th the body of 26-year-old Chase Dietsch was found in a home in the 200 Block of 1st Street SE in Clara City. An investigation was launched with the help of the Minnesota BCA, and along with the assistance of The Midwest Medical Examiner, Dietsch's death was ruled an accidental overdose. The sheriff's office says if you or anyone you know is struggling with addiction, visit www.samhsa.gov.

Woman was sentenced last week to more than five years of prison for possession of methamphetamine in 2020. Ashlee Maree Behrends, 34, had pleaded guilty in July 2022 in Kandiyohi County District Court to a first-degree drug possession charge. In exchange, a charge of possessing drug paraphernalia was dismissed along with two other criminal cases.

St. Cloud, Minn. (KNSI) – The Bureau of Criminal Apprehension is investigating after a man was shot by police in western Minnesota on Wednesday afternoon. The Chippewa County Sheriff’s Office says a drug task force attempted to arrest the man during a traffic stop in Granite Falls at about 4:00 p.m. when he darted into a nearby cemetery to escape.

A Willmar driver involved in fatal crash in McLeod County last week is being held in Kandiyohi County on unrelated charges. The West Central Tribune reports 39-year-old Oscar Ivan Reyes Cruz of Willmar was booked into the Kandiyohi County jail on an outstanding warrant after he was identified as one of the drivers involved in a fatal crash west of Brownton on Friday. Forty-five-year-old Matthew Strauss of Hutchinson died in the crash.

OSAGE, Iowa – A woman has finally entered a plea after two men have already been sentenced for the theft of a pickup truck. Eleana Kuuipo McDonough, 40 of Willmar, Minnesota, has pleaded not guilty to one count of first-degree theft. McDonough, Jesse Devlaeminck, 44 of Rochester, and Nathaniel Thompson, 38 of Mankato, were all accused of stealing a pickup truck from Blake’s Auto in Stacyville on October 28, 2021.

Huutchinson, MN (KROC-AM News) - One person was killed Friday in a traffic crash involving a car and a semi-truck in central Minnesota. The State Patrol identified the victim as 45-year-old Matthew John Strauss of Hutchinson. The crash report indicates he was driving west on Highway 212 when his car collided with an eastbound semi-truck. the deadly incident was reported shortly after 9:30 AM about 10 miles south of Hutchinson.

This week in Willmar, Minnesota, there were three notable incidents. A house fire occurred between Willmar and Pennock, resulting in the destruction of the house. Fortunately, all occupants were able to evacuate safely. In another incident, a youth was arrested for allegedly starting a fire at his family home in Willmar. The occupants and pets were safely out of the residence. Lastly, a Willmar man was sentenced to nearly 20 years in prison for shooting at a police officer during a traffic stop. These incidents highlight the importance of fire safety and the dangers of criminal activity in the area.

This week in Kandiyohi County, Minnesota, several incidents occurred that require attention in the weekly safety report. These incidents include a woman seriously injured in a fall from a golf cart, a man sentenced for drug sale and firearms charges, a house fire that destroyed a home, a man sentenced for shooting at a police officer, and a fire at an auto parts salvage yard.

Authorities from Kandiyohi County apprehended a boy from Central Minnesota on accusations of intentionally setting his family home on fire. The incident occurred in Dovre Township early on a Thursday morning, and the young suspect, whose age remains undisclosed, was taken into custody later that day.

A charge of 2nd Degree Assault with a Dangerous Weapon has been dropped against a Willmar man who was accused of shooting at another vehicle in Willmar May 23rd. According to KWLM, Willmar police got a call from a man who claimed 21-year-old Weheliye Gaal had fired a shot at the caller’s vehicle while driving in northeast Willmar. Police say the caller was evasive and gave a fake name, and they were never able to find him again to talk to him.

(Pennock MN-) Fire crews from Pennock, Willmar and Kerkhoven battled a house fire between Pennock and Willmar Tuesday morning. Pennock Fire Chief Jeff Arends says there were two people in the house at the time and two more had just left when the smoke alarms went off around 6:50 a.m., and one of the children in the house made sure everyone got out safely. When fire crews arrived at the home in the 6000 Block of 7th Avenue Northwest they saw flames coming out of the second story window and they eventually burned through the roof. Arends says the farmhouse was extensively damaged, and they have reached out to The Red Cross to assist the residents. The state fire marshall's office is assisting in the investigation into the cause of the blaze. Fire crews were at the scene until shortly after 11 a.m.

Dale Morin, West Central Tribune, Willmar, Minn. to more than five years on a firearms-related charge and a concurrent 4 1/2 years on a drug charge. Ervin Lamar James, 36, entered a plea of guilty to an amended count of third-degree drug sale and an Alford guilty plea to a charge of felon in possession of ammunition. He was initially charged with first-degree drug sale.

Authorities in Kandiyohi County say they’ve seen an uptick in calls about IRS phishing emails that indicate, you the taxpayer, had left missing information off a previous tax return and will receive an additional refund if you supply additional information through a link on the email. The Sheriff’s Office...