Crime

Prison Break Suspect Charged with Kidnapping, Escape from Custody

FOX 9 - KMSP

James Mitchell LINO LAKES, Minn. (KMSP) – A prisoner who drove off in a state transport van with eight other inmates on May 26, has been charged with four counts of kidnapping and one cout of escape from custody, according to a criminal complaint released Monday. The incident started when the driver of a transport van left the vehicle running…

Teen Pleads Guilty to Lesser Charge in Slender Man Attack

Anissa Weier – FOX 6   MILWAUKEE (AP) — One of two Wisconsin girls charged with repeatedly stabbing a classmate to impress the fictitious horror character Slender Man pleaded guilty Monday, but she still faces a trial in the case next month focused on her mental health. Anissa Weier, 15, pleaded guilty to attempted second-degree homicide as a party to…

$3,300 Camera Equipment Stolen From Canal Park

Young Photographer Hopes Case Will Be Solved

There is a reason photography along Lake Superior and the North Shore is so popular, the Northland makes for great pictures. One man who was trying to capture that beauty, and share it with others has run into a serious problem, and is asking for the public’s help. It’s a labor of love for Dan Coquyt, the UMD Medical School…

Wisconsin ‘Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over’ Initiative Starts Friday

MADISON, Wis. – Law enforcement agencies across Wisconsin ill combine their resources to watch for impaired drivers as part of the annual “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” initiative that begins Friday, Aug. 18 and runs through Labor Day, according to the Wisconsin Department of Transportation. “Whether it’s caused by alcohol, prescription medications, or other drugs, impaired driving is illegal,…

Three Injured in Minneapolis Shooting

Police Say They Havne't Arrested a Suspect

MINNEAPOLIS (AP)  Police say that three men were hospitalized after an early morning shooting in Minneapolis. Authorities say that police responded to the shooting shortly before 3 a.m. Saturday. Officers found three adult men suffering from gunshot wounds when they arrived. The victims were transported by ambulance to Hennepin County Medical Center. Police say two victims are being treated for…

Man who Drove into Crowd in Custody

Witnesses Say He Drove into Group Protesting Rally

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP)  A state official said the driver of a car that plowed into a group of marchers in Charlottesville is in police custody. Virginia Secretary of Public Safety Brian Moran said the driver, a man, has been arrested. Moran did not immediately provide a name of the driver. Witnesses say a car plowed into a crowd of people…

Milwaukee Police Investigating Fatal Stabbing

Police Say Suspect Has Been Arrested

MILWAUKEE (AP) Milwaukee police are investigating the fatal stabbing of a 24-year-old woman. The department says the woman was stabbed on the 1500 block of South 25th Street. Police say a 27-year-old male suspect has been arrested. Authorities say the circumstances of the stabbing are under investigation. Authorities say officials attempted to stabilize the woman, but she died at the…

Juvenile Male Shot in Lincoln Park Neighborhood

DULUTH, Minn. – Just after 11 p.m. Thursday, officers responded to a call of gunshots in the area of 23rd Avenue West and 3rd Street, according to the Duluth Police Department. Authorities were notified after arriving on scene by a local hospital they had a gunshot victim in the emergency room. A juvenile male was treated and released. The Duluth…

35 Men Arrested in Brown County Human Trafficking Sting

GABRIELLE MAYS | FOX 11 NEWS

BROWN COUNTY, Wis. (WLUK) – Thirty-five men were arrested throughout Brown County during a national sex trafficking operation. Authorities throughout Brown County, including Green Bay, De Pere, and Ashwaubenon, arrested the men over a four-day period, July 17-20. The National Johns Suppression Initiative happened June 28 through July 31, involving 37 law enforcement agencies across 17 states. On Thursday, the…

Victim’s Family Statisfied with Katzmark Sentence

Theresa Katzmark was Sentenced to 48 Months Thursday

DULUTH, Minn. – Theresa Katzmark was sentenced to 48 months in prison Thursday for criminal vehicular homicide in Donna Estrem’s death last April. 6th Judicial District Judge Shaun Floreke admitted he struggled with the decision to send Katzmark to prision but in the end, prison was Floerke’s only choice. “I’m not here to say you are a bad person, I’m…

Search Warrant Issued for Minneapolis Officers’ Phone, Social Media Accounts

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – Cell phone and social media records for Officer Mohamed Noor and his partner, Matthew Harrity, are being parsed as part of the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension’s investigation into the fatal shooting of Justine Damond in south Minneapolis, according to a new search warrant released Thursday. The new document marks a key difference between the investigation into…

WANTED: Terry Pruitt

DULUTH, Minn. – The Duluth Police Department and Lake Superior Drug and Violent Crimes Task Force are seeking the public’s assistance in locating 29-year-old Terry Pruitt of Chicago. Pruitt is wanted for an active warrant for 1st Degree Sale of Heroin. Anyone with information on Pruitt’s whereabouts is asked to call 911. Terry Pruitt Categories: Crime, News, News – Latest…

10-Year-Old Kills Brother while Playing ‘Cops and Robbers’

LOGANVILLE, Wis. (AP) – Authorities in southern Wisconsin say a 10-year-old boy fatally shot his 14-year-old brother while playing “cops and robbers” with a rifle they didn’t think was loaded. The Sauk County Sheriff’s Office says deputies responded around 10:30 a.m. Tuesday to a report of a shooting at a home south of Loganville. A statement from the sheriff’s office…

Superior Heroin Death Results in Homicide Charge

22-Year-Old Nathan Birkholz of Superior Charged for Distributing Lethal Dose of Opioids

SUPERIOR, Wis. – A fatal heroin overdose that took the life of a 25-year-old Superior man last year has turned into a homicide case. According to the criminal complaint, the suspect, 22-year-old Nathan Birkholz of Superior, knew he was selling a mix of heroin and fentanyl that was the strongest any of his users would ever get their hands on….

Ashland Assault Suspect Arrested

There was Also a Felony Warrant for a Burglary on the Suspect

ASHLAND, Wis.-Ashland police made an arrest earlier today in an alleged assault that occurred Thursday at Lakeshore Drive West. A 24-year-old man is accused of fighting with another man at that residence, which eventually led to a victim lying unconscious in the street after getting kicked in the head. The suspect also had a felony warrant out for his arrest…

Woman Stabbed at Bar in Mountain Iron

MOUNTAIN IRON, Minn. – St. Louis County Sheriff’s Deputies responded to an assault at a bar in Mountain Iron just before 1:30 a.m. on Monday, Aug. 8, according to the St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office. When officers arrived on scene, they located a woman inside the bar with a stab wound to the left side of her stomach. She was…

Remer Man Sentenced to 12 Years for Sexual Conduct with Minors

Jacob White WALKER, Minn. – A Remer, Minnesota man has been sentenced to 12 year in prison for two sexual conduct cases involving minors, according to Cass County Attorney Christopher J. Strandlie. Jacob John White, 32, was sentenced for committing Criminal Sexual Conduct in the First Degree, which will run concurrently with one year in jail for Criminal Sexual Conduct…

Superior Man Charged with Homicide in Connection to Overdose Death

Nathan Birkholz SUPERIOR, Wis. – A 22-year-old Superior man has been charged with First Degree Reckless Homicide after his alleged involvement in the overdose death of Neil Christianson in Nov. 2016, according to Douglas County District Attorney Mark Fruehauf. Nathan Birkholz allegedly delivered a substance which contained heroin and fentanyl to Christianson, which resulted in his death. The criminal complaint…

Man Charged with Electronic Solicitation of a Minor

Joshua Stewart DULUTH, Minn. – On Thursday, August 3, the Duluth Police Department Sex Crimes, Violent Crimes, and Financial Crimes Units arrested a 35-year-old male after investigators became aware of a conversation occurring between the male and a female minor over social media. Thirty-five-year-old Joshua Stewart was subsequently arrested after making arrangements with the female, he believed to be 14-years-old,…

Cash Stolen From Billings Park Days Box

Community Chips In Donations After Theft

A theft in Superior has some people hoping for answers after a community fundraiser box was broken into. Nearly 7,000 people came out to annual Billings Park Days in Superior last weekend, that’s a higher attendance than normal. Organizers however got a big surprise when they found one of the donation boxes to raise funds for next year’s events was…

Hibbing Man Charged in Fatal Tower Fire

Jesse Bonacci-Koski   VIRGINIA, Minn. – A 24-year-old Hibbing man is facing charges for his involvement in the fatal fire that killed an 11-month-old boy on Aug. 2. Jesse Lee Bonacci-Koski was charged in State District Court in Virginia on Monday with four counts, including second degree manslaughter. According to the criminal complaint, the 11-month-old boy, identified as Bentley Joe…

Minnesota Governor: Islamic Center IED Blast an ‘Act of Terrorism’

FOX 9 - KMSP

BLOOMINGTON, Minn. (KMSP) – A group of state and national politicians gathered Sunday to see for themselves the damage caused by an improvised explosive device at the Dar Al-Farooq Islamic Center in Bloomington just one day earlier. The blast went off during morning prayers around 5:00 a.m., shocking those gathered with plumes of smoke coming from a window near the…

New Strategies In Place For Missing Duluth Couple Case

Command Center And Agencies State Wide Are Now On The Case

Saturday August 5th, It was day 8 of the missing Duluth couple Ron and Mary Tarnowski. Saturday hundreds gathered at the Tarnowski home in hopes that a search party would bring them home. “We are not giving up hope. We’re keeping our heads held high, we’re going to be strong, and we’re going to bring mom and dad home. But…

Explosion at Twin Cities Islamic Center

A Witness Saw Someone by the Imam's Window Before Blast

BLOOMINGTON, Minn. – The Muslim American Society of Minnesota says that someone threw an explosive device that started a fire in the imam’s office at a mosque near Minneapolis. The society said in a statement that attendees extinguished the fire at Dar Al-Farooq Islamic Center in Bloomington. Police say the explosion was reported at about 5 a.m. Saturday and there…

Car Versus Bicycle Crash Sends One to Hospital

The Bicyclist Was Transported to a Local Hospital With a Serious Head Injury

DULUTH, Minn. – A car versus bicycle crash sent one person to the hospital shortly after 1:00 a.m. Friday morning. When Duluth police responded to the 2300 Block of London Road, officers made observations that the driver of the vehicle showed signs of impairment from alcohol. The bicyclist was taken to a local hospital with a head injury and remains…

Escaped Bemidji Inmate Caught

Was Arrested at St. Cloud Apartment Complex

ST. CLOUD, Minn.-Escaped inmate Keanu Major, 22, of Bemidji, has been arrested after going on the run Friday. He was located at about 8 p.m. Tuesday in a St. Cloud apartment complex. Major escaped from custody while being treated at a hospital in Bemidji after getting injured in some altercations in the Beltrami County Jail. Major was able to escape custody…

Woman Found Dead Near Evacuated Senior Center

Victim Believed to Have Been Killed by Robbery Suspect

MENDOTA HEIGHTS, Minn. (AP) Police in Mendota Heights say a woman was found dead in an office building near where authorities searched an assisted living center for an armed suspect. Police Chief Kelly McCarthy says the woman was found in the Mendota Heights Business Center about 2 p.m. Saturday. Authorities believe she was killed by the man police were looking…

One Dead in Minneapolis Shooting

Police Have not Released Victim's Identity

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) Minneapolis police say one person has died in a shooting on the city’s north side. Officers responded to a 911 call of the shooting on Plymouth Avenue North on Friday night. Police found a man who had been shot in the head. The victim was taken to Hennepin County Medical Center, where he died. The name of the…

Guilty Plea in Reservation Murder

Wayne Bosto Admitted to Killing John Korby Lats December

CARLTON, Minn. – A man accused of a murder on the Fond du Lac Reservation says he’s guilty. 33 year old Wayne Bosto pled guilty to second degree murder charges in Carlton County court Friday. Bosto was accused of killing John Korby last December. Bosto was also charged with being a felon in possesion of a firearm. Bosto will be…

Code Red Alert Issued for Escaped Inmate near Bemidji

Keanu Major, 25 BEMIDJI, Minn. (KMSP) – A code red alert was issued Friday morning for an escaped inmate last seen in Bemidji, Minnesota. Police are asking for the public’s help in locating 25-year-old Keanu Joseph Major, who was last seen in the northwest part of the city in leg shackles and a waist belt with restraints and an orange prison jumpsuit. Major…

2 Arrested in Stolen Vehicle Incident

DULUTH, Minn. – The Duluth Police Department reports that just after 12 p.m. Thursday, an officer was taking a report of a stolen vehicle over the phone, when the vehicle reported stolen drove by. The officer managed to stop the vehicle when the four occupants fled on foot. All occupants of the vehicle were located. The driver was arrested for…

Two Females Robbed at Gunpoint in Drug Deal Gone Wrong

Five suspects were arrested in connection to the incident

BEMIDJI, Minn. – Around 4:30 a.m., Monday July 24, the Beltrami County Sheriff’s Department received a call that two adult females had been robbed at gun point outside a residence in the 5200 block of 15th Street NW in Grant Valley Township outside of Bemidji. The 911 caller indicated that one of the females was in the process of exiting…

Two Detained in Fleet Farm Shoplifting Incident

One Suspect had Loaded Hand Gun and Hypodermic Needle

HERMANTOWN, Minn.-Two suspects were arrested at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at Hermantown’s Mills Fleet Farm in a shoplifting incident. A 26-year-old male suspect was found with a loaded handgun concealed in his waistband, along with a hypodermic needle which tested positive for a controlled substance. He has been arrested for possession of a controlled substance, possessing a pistol with a controlled…

Suspicious Fire at Residence on Calvary Road

No One was Injured in the Incident

DULUTH, Minn.-Authorities are investigating a suspicious fire today at a residence on Calvary Road, which left no one injured. Firefighters and deputies were called to the scene at 10:15 p.m. Wednesday at 3912 East Calvary Road. Smoke alarms could be heard at the property, as smoke poured out of the windows at the residence. A small fire was knocked down…

Search Warrant: Woman ‘Slapped’ Back of Squad Car Before Fatal Shooting

FOX 9 - KMSP

Justine Damond, Fox 9 MINNEAPOLIS (KMSP) – A newly unsealed search warrant details the evidence the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension  has gathered about what led up to the fatal officer-involved shooting of Justine Damond in southwest Minneapolis on July 15. Damond was shot and killed by Minneapolis Police Officer Mohammed Noor, who was in the squad car with his partner, Officer…

Victim Identified In Fatal Boating Accident; Driver Faces Criminal Charges

Authorities Say Dark Night, Speed, Alcohol Were Factors

ELLSBERG TOWNSHIP, Minn. – A criminal investigation is underway after a late-night boat ride for four friends on a lake in St. Louis County turned fatal. Ann DeLanghe, 54, of Burnsville, Minn., died from her injuries after being ejected from the boat, according to the St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office. Her husband, Ernest, was also a passenger.  His condition was…

3 Prison Staff Hurt in Attack by Inmate

The Oshkosh Correctional Institution, seen June 2, 2017 after lockdown went in effect the day before. (WLUK) OSHKOSH, Wis. (AP) – Corrections officials say three security employees are recovering following an attack by an inmate at the state prison in Oshkosh. The Wisconsin Department of Corrections says the attack happened Thursday evening at the medium-security Oshkosh Correctional Institution. Injuries on…

Community Forum Raises Opioid Awareness In St. Louis County

Some Call It An Epidemic

Hibbing, Minn. The Hibbing community is doing their part to combat the opioid and meth problem in St. Louis County. Hundreds came out to hear from multiple agencies that deal with the problem head on. A panel consisting of representatives from St. Louis county public health, local law enforcement, attorney’s and even addiction survivors were on hand tonight. The panel…

Ashland Man Arrested for Child Pornography

ASHLAND, Wis. – A seven month investigation that started with an Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) tip, has led to the arrest of a male, according to the Ashland Police Department. Detectives from Ashland PD and the State of Wisconsin Division of Criminal Investigation executed a search warrant at an Ashland residence, resulting in the arrest of a 29-year-old male….

Minnesota Teen Missing for 40 Years Identified as Victim of John Wayne Gacy

DON BABWIN - THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

CHICAGO (AP) – An Illinois sheriff’s office said Wednesday that it has identified a Minnesota runaway as one of the victims of serial killer John Wayne Gacy. Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart said in a news release that the remains of a person whose body was found under the crawl space of Gacy’s Chicago area home in 1978 were those…

911 Transcripts of Justine Damond’s Calls to Minneapolis Police

FOX 9 - KMSP

Justine Damond, Fox 9 MINNEAPOLIS (KMSP) – The Minneapolis Police Department has released the 911 transcript of the call Justine Damond placed on the night of July 15, just minutes before she was shot and killed by officers who responded to the call. Damond called 911 twice that night to report a possible sexual assault near 51st Street and Washburn…

Duluth Police Department Explains Their Body Camera Policy

Duluth Officers Set Cameras to Record Whenever an Enforcement Action Takes Place

DULUTH, Minn. – The police shooting of an Australian woman in Minneapolis this week continues to make international headlines. During the incident, the police officer’s body camera was not recording as the fatal shot was fired, raising questions about what the policies are when it comes to police body cameras. Duluth Police Department policy is that officers wear body cameras…

Father Calls for Justice in Police Shooting Death of Justine Damond

FOX 9 - KMSP

MINNEAPOLIS (KMSP) – The family of Justine Damond made their first public comments in Sydney Tuesday after their daughter was fatally shot by a Minneapolis police officer over the weekend. John Ruszczyk, Justine’s father, said the family is still trying to come to terms with what has happened. “Justine, our daughter, was so special to us and to so many others,”…

Duluth Man Arrested in Connection to Car Dealership Burglary

HERMANTOWN, Minn. – Hermantown Police responded to an alarm at a car dealership located in the 4700 block of Miller Trunk Highway around 5:30 a.m. Monday, according to the Hermantown Police Department. When officers arrived on scene, they discovered forced entry into the business, but no one was located in the building during the search. Investigators collected evidence, and found…

Hibbing Homicide Investigation Continues

JULY 18, 2017- Authorities in Hibbing are seeking the public’s assistance as they continue to investigate the death of Brian Nelson. Investigators are interested in speaking to anyone who may have had any contact with Nelson between Saturday evening July 8 through Monday July 10. The investigation is ongoing at this point, and authorities indicate that they believe this to…

Attorney General Visits Minnesota

Talks Tough on Harsher Sentences for Criminal Offenses

(AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions is visiting Minnesota to speak to state and local prosecutors. Sessions was expected to address an annual gathering of district attorneys from around the country in Minneapolis on Monday afternoon. Sessions has pitched a tough-on-crime mentality as President Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Department of Justice. He has…