>>Ellison, other states’ A-Gs calling on U-S Justice Dept. to intervene in Texas murder case
(St. Paul, MN) — Minnesota Attorney General, Democrat Keith Ellison has joined a coalition of 14 attorneys-general calling for the U-S Justice Department to intervene in a Texas murder case. A jury in Austin, Texas found U-S Army Sergeant Daniel Perry guilty of the July 2020 murder of Garrett Foster, who Ellison says was protesting racial injustice. Perry’s attorneys argued he was acting in self-defense because Foster was carrying an AK-47-style rifle. Texas Governor Greg Abbott recently pardoned Perry, saying that state “has one of the strongest ‘stand your ground’ laws… that cannot be nullified by a jury or a progressive district attorney” — prompting accusations that the pardon was politically motivated. Minnesota Attorney General Ellison says Texas law does not shield Perry from *federal* prosecution and he’s calling on the U-S Justice Department to open an investigation into whether the defendant violated federal civil rights laws by killing Foster.
>>One Person Dead in SUV Crash Near Brainerd
(Baxter, MN) — At least one person is dead after a two-vehicle crash at an intersection Tuesday evening near Brainerd. The State Patrol says an SUV and car were both heading east when the SUV pushed the car into the intersection, causing the car to spin out and crash into a gun range. A 55-year-old woman was driving the car, and a 60-year-old man was driving the SUV. It’s unknown if one or both drivers were killed in the crash.
>>St. Cloud man charged with raping 14-year-old girl
(St. Cloud, MN) — A St. Cloud man is charged with criminal sexual conduct after allegedly raping a 14-year-old girl. The victim told police she had left her residence and was sitting under a bridge near Lake George when a man asked her for a cigarette. The suspect, 26-year-old Austin Ouellette, then asked the girl to go with him. The two went to his residence where they watched a movie, and Ouellette allegedly held the girl down and sexually assaulted her. The criminal complaint states that Ouellette admitted to meeting the victim and having sex with her at his home.
>>Juvenile Arrested Following Assault with Handgun in Wells
(Wells, MN) — A juvenile is in custody after an assault with a handgun this morning (Wed) in the south-central Minnesota community of Wells. Officers arrived around 3:30 a.m. to find the suspect missing, prompting a several-hour search. Due to the suspect being a juvenile, school was delayed by two hours at United South Central Schools. Police arrested the suspect around 8:15 and are requesting charges of second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon, fifth-degree assault, disorderly conduct, and illegal possession of a firearm.
>>Moorhead Police Search for Missing Moorhead Woman
(Moorhead, MN) — Moorhead police are requesting the public’s help finding 45-year-old Melissa Lohnes, who was last seen leaving the south side of the city at 12:30 this afternoon (WED). She is possibly heading to Sisseton, South Dakota, with an unknown acquaintance. Lohnes is Native American, 5-6, 175 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes. She was last seen wearing a navy blue shirt and gray pants. Anyone with information is asked to call the Red River Dispatch Center at (701) 451-7660.
>>Mother cat, two kittens rescued from mausoleum at historic St. Paul cemetery as storm approached
(St. Paul, MN) — A mother cat and two kittens are getting ready for a new home after a person walking her dog in one of Saint Paul’s oldest cemeteries (Calvary Catholic Cemetery) saw them hunkered down in one of the family mausoleums as a storm approached. She called Pet Haven, and Executive Director Kerry D’Amato says volunteer and certified vet tech Stephanie Di Lorenzo Sawyer found mother and kittens right where the good samaritan said they were. D’Amato says, “Stephanie took the cat carrier and mom went right in it — I mean, no hesitation. It was like she knew we were there to help her. She did not live there at that cemetery. She did not live at that mausoleum. She was left there.” D’Amoto says the cats received immediate care: the mother was extremely dehydrated and didn’t have any milk for her kittens, who had respiratory problems so serious that their eyes were encrusted shut. But she says all three are doing fine now and will be available for adoption within the next few weeks.
