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A burglary-in- progress reported at a Badger Blvd. address in Fish Lake Township, west of Goose Lake, April 5,  resulted in the arrest of a Hinckley woman.   The call came in that one suspect was hiding on the property and another fled in a vehicle.  The deputies did locate the female and reportedly found burglary tools in her possession. She said she went into the barn to find barn wood.  She was being held early this week in jail on possible burglary charges.

Also, on March 31 Lakes Area Police were requested to assist sheriff’s deputies in an alleged residential outbuilding break-in, on rural Nathan Lane, where two suspects were fleeing.  Two arrests were made.  Incident reported about 9:30 a.m.

April 1 there were 17 medical alarms activated in the Point Pleasant Heights neighborhood in Chisago City, all at 8:25 p.m.

A Lakes Area officer made contact with one resident and was eventually advised a series of malfunctioning alarms were sounding. The addresses have a history of false alarms during electric storms.

North Branch firefighters went to a grass fire at 360th reported about 11 a.m. April 1.  A burn pit had reportedly gotten out of control.

Also April 1 a power pole caught fire about 3 p.m. near Lake Blvd and Pioneer Road.  Chisago City firefighters put it and a grass fire out.

Thursday, April 2 a tree apparently fell onto a powerline off Olinda Trail near Marine Court, Lindstrom.  Xcel handled the restoration of power.  The incident affected the lights at the Hwy 8 and Olinda intersection, so police placed freestanding STOP signs temporarily for a four-way stop.


April 2 a female ATV operator struck her head (no helmet) when she was ejected from the ATV at an address on 322nd Street.  She was transported at approximately noon, to Regions Hospital due to showing signs of head trauma.

Friday April 3 a one vehicle crash reported on Furuby Road about 5:40 p.m.  Driver said she was eastbound and swerved to avoid a deer in roadway and her tires caught soft ground on the shoulder,  and the vehicle ended up on its roof blocking the road. Driver and passenger transported to St Croix Regional Medical Center.

Berndt sentenced for felony exploitation

A Shoreview man,  disbarred in 2012 from practicing law in Minnesota, is now ordered to serve 180 days in the county jail for stealing from his elderly parents.  

Deno Walter Berndt, 49,  was sentenced last week as part of a plea agreement entered into district court in late January. He admitted to one count of felony financial exploitation of a vulnerable adult and three other counts were dismissed.  

The charges were based on activity between late 2011 and early 2012.

Berndt will serve 180 days with the remainder of his 36 month sentence stayed for 20 years.  

He is also ordered to make $150,000 in restitution and is prohibited from acting in a financial capacity for others without prior approval from supervising agents.  He will abstain from use of alcohol and controlled substances and submit to random testing while under probation.

Berndt was arrested and charged after family members met with a North Branch Police investigator upon learning that their parents’ bills at Ecumen living facility weren’t being paid in a timely manner.  The criminal complaint alleged he had transferred funds from the sale of his parents’ home into his law office account. Chisago County social wokers also assisted in the case.


BOOKED

March 31
Michael Allen Chilson, 30, Cambridge. Booked by warrant. Held.
Neal David Stewart, 22, Hugo. Booked by Anoka County. Held.
Nicholas Andrew Duncan, 21, Hugo. Booked by Anoka County. Held.
Matthew Robert Wakefield, 23, Forest Lake. Booked by county, held under sentence.
Richard Lawrence Tereau, 45, North Branch. Booked by Dept of Corrections. Held.

April 3
Jerrith Ryan Oakgrove, 24, Mpls. Booked by warrant. Held.
Matthew Louis Broz, 28, Wyoming. Booked by county, held under sentence.

April 5
Jacob Israel Bertilson, 33, North St Paul. Booked by county, held under sentence.
Kimberly Sue Kath, 41, Hinckley. Booked by county. Held.
Richard Herman Rollins, 42, North Branch. Booked by county. Held.

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