Indiana Man Arrested on Kidnapping Charge

Hermantown Police Arrest Mark Emerson in Walmart Parking Lot

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Monday, just before 4 PM, the Hermantown Police Department got a 911 call which led them to the Walmart in Hermantown.

The call came from a woman, who ran next door to the Kolar Hyundai dealership, claiming Mark Emerson, her estranged husband, had broken into her home in Indiana the night before, killed a man, and then forced her and her three young children into a car.

The woman says Emerson was planning to cross the Canadian border when they ran out of cash.

Police say they stopped at the Hermantown Walmart with a plan to shoplift, and return the merchandise for gift cards to get gas money.

Police say Emerson walked into Walmart with the three children, when the woman escaped and ran next door to call the police.

“This young gal showed tremendous courage in fleeing from the vehicle at the opportunity she was given, knowing that her children were still in the custody of this individual,” said Officer Shawn Padden with the Hermantown Police Department.

Hermantown police say they set up a perimeter in the Walmart parking lot, and when Emerson approached the vehicle, the officers stepped in and arrested him with no resistance.

In April, Emerson was charged with domestic battery, criminal confinement, strangulation, and intimidation, an incident where Lara was also the victim.

As of Tuesday evening, Emerson is being held at the St. Louis County Jail on kidnapping and Order for Protection Violation crimes.

The Hermantown Police Department is waiting for homicide charges to come through from the Anderson Police Department in Indiana.