>>3-Year-Old Attacked by 2 Dogs in Brooklyn Park Dies
(Brooklyn Park, MN) — The 3-year-old boy attacked by two dogs in Brooklyn Park Friday has died. The toddler was attacked by two pit bulls while he was visiting the home. Law enforcement gave life-saving aid before the boy was brought to a hospital in critical condition, where he later died. On a GoFundMe page set up for the family, the post says the boy’s organ will be donated through Life Source. One of the dogs was put down; the other dog’s status is unknown.
>>Fergus Falls Man Arrested for Shooting at Delivery Driver
(Fergus Falls, MN) — A Fergus Falls man faces second-degree assault charges after shooting a firearm. Otter Tail County Sheriff’s deputies responded to a report of a man possibly shooting a firearm at a delivery driver in Orwell around 1:50 p.m. Wednesday. Investigation shows a verbal disturbance between a delivery truck operator and the suspect, 55-year-old Jeffrey Defries, where Defries fired a gun. No one was injured in the accident.
>>Carlton Man Sentenced to 25 Years in Prison for Producing Child Pornography
(Duluth, MN) — A Carlton man has been sentenced to 25 years in prison for the attempted and actual production of child pornography. Between 2015 and 2022, 30-year-old Stephen Hansen sexually abused at least six children between the ages of two and 12 years old. The abuse included removing children’s clothing, touching their genitals, and capturing video and photos of such acts on his cell phone. 250 child porn images were found in Hanson’s possession, some of which he created and others downloaded from the internet.
>>Man Dead, Woman, Baby Suffer Life-Threatening Injuries in Wheaton Crash
(Wheaton, MN) — A man is dead, and a woman and baby are suffering life-threatening injuries, after a crash in southwest Minnesota Tuesday. The State Patrol says a semi-truck and SUV, southbound on Highway 75 about 15 miles south of Wheaton, collided near an intersection. 29-year-old Wyatt Tritz, a passenger in the SUV, died. The SUV driver, 22-year-old Autumn Tritz, and the baby girl were flown to Sanford in Fargo. The 38-year-old semi-truck driver was unharmed. Alcohol is not believed to be a factor in the crash and everyone was wearing a seatbelt.
>>AG Ellison Celebrates Singing of Employer Misclassification Fraud Bill
(St. Paul, MN) — Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison celebrates Governor Tim Walz’s singing of a bill combating employer misclassification fraud, based on a policy proposal from Ellison’s task force on said topic. The new bill, which went into effect earlier this month, will make it harder for employers to incorrectly classify employees as independent contractors, which results in the employee losing access to rights, benefits, and protections, such as overtime pay, workers compensation, earned sick and safe time, and more. The law will also increase penalties for repeat offenders, allow fraud victims to go to court to recoup denied wages, and improve government coordination when investigating misclassification fraud.
>>Mankato Felon Pleads Guilty to Illegal Firearm Possession After Shooting at Police Officer During Home Invasion
(Minneapolis, MN) — A Mankato man has pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm as a felon after firing at police officers during a home invasion. Court documents say on January 14th, 2024, a woman called 911 to report a man had broken into her south Minneapolis apartment. The woman and her two children fled the residence after the man, later identified as 32-year-old Kamau Evans, broke a window to enter the bedroom. Evans then entered a second residence in north Minneapolis by breaking a sliding glass door and assaulting several residents inside. MPD officers were able to pull one of the victims out of the house. Officers behind a ballistic shield entered the house, where Evans shot in their direction, leaped out of a bathroom window, and tried to flee. Officers recovered a SCCY model CPX-1 9mm semiautomatic pistol near where Evans was arrested. His sentencing hearing is to be scheduled at a later time.
>>Predatory Offender Arrested in Minneapolis After 2-Week-Long Search
(Minneapolis, MN) — After a two-week-long search, a predatory offender was arrested in Minneapolis. A state agent told Rochester police that 41-year-old Carvell Williams had tampered with his monitoring device and did not return to his court-order location. Williams was last seen in Rochester on Sunday, June 30th, before he was found in Minneapolis and arrested.
>>MPR Union Members Continue to Strike, MPRB Shoots Down Call to Return to Bargaining Table
(Minneapolis, MN) — Today (THURS) marks the 22nd day of the strike by Minneapolis Parks and Recreation union members, who will deliver thousands of signatures for a no-confidence petition to the board. This comes after workers came to the MPRB meeting last night to call for a return to the bargaining table, which the board shot down. Union representatives say they’re willing to accept the latest pay offer, though lower than originally wanted, but they remain firm on contract language the board wants on worker’s rights and working conditions.
>>Fridley Man Indicted in 2023 1st-Degree Murder of Ex-Girlfriend
(Fridley, MN) — An 18-year-old Fridley man makes his first appearance in court today (THURS) after being indicted in the first-degree 2023 murder of his ex-girlfriend. A grand jury indicted Fenan Uso Tuesday on one count of premeditated first-degree murder in the fatal shooting of 18-year-old Jayden Kline. Police responded to Kline’s house on December 21st, 2023, on a report of a person being hit by a vehicle. On arrival, officers found Kline in the street with a gunshot wound. She was pronounced dead at the hospital. During the investigation, Uso told officers he went to the mall with Kline; an argument ensued, and when they went back to her home, she was still upset. Uso claimed to pull a gun, shoot her once, and drive off.
