ST. PAUL (WCCO) — A former pastor at a St. Paul parish who faces charges for allegedly molesting one boy and exposing himself to another is now facing 15 more counts of possessing child pornography.

Curtis Carl Wehmeyer, 48, was the parish priest at The Church of the Blessed Sacrament until this June, when he was removed from duty after church authorities learned of the allegations. In late September, Wehmeyer was charged Thursday with three counts of criminal sexual conduct, including one felony.

Wehmeyer will make his first appearance on all of the charges Wednesday afternoon.

According to the charges, a boy told authorities that Wehmeyer abused him throughout the summer of 2010, when he was 12. He said Wehmeyer took him to a camper trailer on church grounds, gave him beer and marijuana and touched his genitals while showing him pornography. The complaint said Wehmeyer also exposed himself to the boy and to the boy’s older brother, who was 14 at the time.

“As the parish priest for this family, the defendant betrayed a sacred trust and forever marred the innocence of two young victims,” said Ramsey County Attorney John Choi. “We will pursue justice for the family as well as and the community.”

The younger boy told police that Wehmeyer said “if he told anyone, he would no longer be able to be a priest and the parish would fall apart,” the complaint said.

During interviews with investigators, the older brother also said the boys went on a camping trip with Wehmeyer near Big Sandy Lake in Aitkin County in 2010. According to the complaint, the older brother told police he shared a bed with Wehmeyer on the trip, and put blankets and pillows between himself and the priest. The boy said he woke up during the night to find Wehmeyer touching him, and when he awoke in the morning, the barricade of pillows was gone and Wehmeyer’s hands were across the boy’s chest.

The allegations came to light in June when the boys’ mother went to church authorities to report her younger son had been abused.

The Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis issued a statement saying that church authorities immediately went to police, and that Wehmeyer hasn’t practiced in any ministry since being removed from duty.

On July 7, 2012, investigators executed a search warrant for the rectory of the Church of the Blessed Sacrament in St. Paul. There, they discovered a laptop with “still images and video clips depicted sex acts involving prepubescent males.”

Wehmeyer was ordained in 2001 and served as associate priest at St. Joseph parish in West St. Paul between 2001 and 2006. He went to Blessed Sacrament Parish in 2006, which merged with St. Thomas the Apostle in 2009, the archdiocese said. Wehmeyer became pastor of the merged parishes and was the active pastor up until his removal in June.

As Wehmeyer was leaving church property in June, the complaint said, he told the boys’ mother that the younger boy “doesn’t lie.” The complaint said Wehmeyer also apologized to a church employee for disappointing her and for the people he had hurt.

Anyone who believes they may be a victim of sex abuse to contact 651-266-8685.

FERGUS FALLS, Minn. (WCCO) — A 27-year-old Fergus Falls man has been arrested in the overdose death of a 23-year-old man, according to the Otter Tail County Sheriff’s Office.

On Tuesday at 3:15 p.m., Christopher Allen Tiffany was placed under arrest for charges of third-degree murder. He was arrested at the Otter Tail County Detention Facility where he was being held on unrelated charges.

According to authorities, on Aug. 10, the body of Thomas Rasmusson was found deceased in a motor vehicle south of Fergus Falls. An autopsy indicated that the cause of death was an overdose of illegal drugs, including methamphetamines and opiates (heroin).

After investigating into the source of these drugs, authorities developed information that Tiffany assisted Rasmusson in obtaining the illegal drugs that caused the overdose.

The Otter Tail County Sheriff’s Office was assisted by the West Central MN Drug Task Force and the Fergus Falls Police Department in the investigation.

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — A 50-year-old woman faces up to 27 years behind bars for a gruesome attack on her boyfriend.

Dawn Renee Peel has been charged with second-degree attempted murder and second-degree assault after police say she cut her boyfriend’s neck with a knife.

Authorities responded to a 911 call on 1:48 a.m. Monday regarding a stabbing on the 600 block of Aurora Avenue in St. Paul.

A man told police he was stabbed in the neck by his girlfriend, later identified as Peel.

Officers said they saw the man lying in the first floor lobby, covered in blood. He said he escaped from their apartment but she was still inside. The man had a 5.5-inch cut across his neck — it took 23 staples to close the wound.

He told police Peel woke him up and asked him if he loved her. He said that he did. That’s when she said, “This is the last time you’re going to see me,” before slicing his neck with a large knife.

The man said he was able to push her away and put pressure on the injury.

Officers found the apartment door unlocked with a security latch holding it open. Police say they knocked on the door and asked to enter. A woman inside said she was too scared to open the door because “he might be there.”

The woman finally opened the door. She was completely nude with wet hair and blood stains on her face and leg. Police say it didn’t appear she had any injuries.

Officers say there appeared to be fresh blood stains in multiple areas of the apartment. When they asked what happened, Peel said she was sleeping when her boyfriend came in and yelled at her. She said he told her, “they cut me.”

She then started saying, “he beat me up, he beat me up real bad.” Police asked if she was referring to her boyfriend and if he assaulted her and she said, “yes.”

Peel said she didn’t know how he got cut and didn’t know anything about a knife.

Officers noticed Peel’s breath smelled of alcohol. They asked her how much she had to drink and she said, “not enough.”

Police found a large knife, with water and blood on it, in a kitchen drawer.

The boyfriend was transported to Regions Hospital in critical, but stable, condition. He told police he told Peel she needed to go to a hospital because she wasn’t well mentally and had been drinking heavily.

He said she injured her knee after a drunken fall. He said he made a bed on the floor and was woken up by Peel. She told him to look into her eyes and then kissed his forehead and said it was the last time he would see her eyes.

“What she did to basically take a sharp kitchen knife to someone’s neck and do what she did in terms of really trying to saw his head off,” said Ramsey County Attorney John Choi.

He said she has physically assaulted him three other times and is controlling and jealous.

The complaint says the victim told investigators that Peel cut his neck like she was slaughtering a goat or a cow, sawing back and forth across his neck with the knife.

He told police he believed she was trying to kill him.

Ramsey County attorney John Choi says his office is seeing more and more cases of domestic violence — a number of those cases involve women as the batteres.

Peel is currently being held in the Ramsey County detention center on a $75,000 bond.

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — A Maple Grove mother has been charged after police say she had been supplying a 12-year-old girl with heroin and marijuana.

Rebecca Rachelle Hill, 37, was arrested on Oct. 13 after police received a report from Macy’s at Mall of America, claiming they caught the woman and young girl stealing clothing from the store.

Hill told police her name was Michelle Monet Moss and that she was from California and was homeless. After a brief search, police confirmed that no one by that name existed.

Hill was eventually identified with a Biometric Identification machine. Once identified, officers determined she had a warrant out for her arrest.

On Oct. 14, police were contacted by the girl’s father who said for the past several weeks Hill had been giving her heroin and marijuana and driving her around in a stolen vehicle.

Medical records showed the girl had both heroin and marijuana in her system. She told police Hill would give her heroin to smoke three times a day. She said she was starting to feel ill from withdrawal and that she last used heroin the day Hill was arrested.

Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman said Hill regularly shoplifted with her daughter.

“They would take all sorts of clothes fence them and then buy heroin,” Freeman said in an interview Monday.

Police discovered that a relative let Hill borrow their vehicle for one day, but she refused to give it back. The relative said she reported the vehicle as stolen. She also told police she thought Hill and the girl were using heroin.

Hill admitted that she took the car, that they drove to the Mall of America with the intention of stealing clothing and that she had been giving her daughter heroin. She said she usually brings her daughter with her when she shoplifts and added that they share the same interests.

She said she continued giving her daughter heroin to try and prevent her from getting sick due to withdrawal symptoms.

Hill has been charged with second-degree sale of a controlled substance, endangerment of a child and theft of a motor vehicle.

“The good news now is that the daughter is in the custody of her father,” Freeman said. “She gone to the hospital to detox from being on heroin and the mother is incarcerated.”

He added: “We need to stop the wrong doing to the child first. And secondly we need to make sure this mother is not in a condition to do it again.”

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — Ten people have been accused of bribing and intimidating witnesses to recant their testimony in a Minneapolis murder trial that sent three men to prison for life, Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman announced Monday.

The charges are the results of a 10-month investigation by Minneapolis police and the Minnesota Department of Corrections.

Freeman says the main defendant is Lamonte Rydell Martin, 24, is charged with 12 counts of bribery, tampering with a witness and accomplice after the fact. Martin is allegedly the mastermind in an operation to get several witnesses to sign affidavits, claiming they testified against Martin, Cornelius Jackson and Jonard McDonald for gunning down Christopher Lynch in north Minneapolis in 2006.

Martin’s mother, Heidi Marie Mastin, 47, was arrested over the weekend and will be charged with accomplice after the fact and bribery. She allegedly helped funnel money into the prison account of one of the targeted witnesses.

Girlfriends of some of the men were used to wire money to the witnesses’ prison accounts or to set up three-way telephone calls between Martin and others to plan their actions, the complaint said.

“It’s outrageous enough that they committed the murder and other crimes in the first place,” said Freeman. “Now they are using a mother, their girlfriends and other gang members in prisons around the state to bribe and intimidate the men who testified against them. Congratulations to investigators on an excellent investigation. We are going to come down hard on these defendants for trying to corrupt the system and for threatening innocent family members.”

Martin, a member of the 1 9 Dipset gang, had an earlier appeal denied by the Minnesota supreme court in October 2009. He needed the recantations as new evidence for his current appeal.

Besides bribery, one of the imprisoned witnesses told investigators he was afraid he’d be killed by a 1 9 Dipset gang member in prison. In one fight, his neck was cut, he told investigators. Another witness reported being attacked every day until he put his name on the affidavit.

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — A Morrison County man accused of shooting and killing two teens will likely be charged on Monday.

Sheriff’s deputies found a 17-year-old boy and an 18-year-old woman inside Byron Smith’s basement on Friday. He told authorities he shot the two after they broke into his home.

But investigators think there’s more to this story.

Authorities say Smith didn’t call for help after the break-in and shooting happened on Thanksgiving afternoon.

Deputies only showed up to his home after getting a report of suspicious activity the next day.

The sheriff did say that anyone has the right to defend their home, with deadly force, if necessary, but in this case investigators say there are clues that show Smith went too far.

Friends identified the teens as 18-year-old Halie Kifer and 17-year-old Nicolas Brady.

Kifer was an athlete — a gymnast and on the dive team at Little Falls High School.

Brady, her cousin, will be remembered for his willingness to help a friend.

“Nick was always the kid to go and talk to about problems but he’s not there anymore, which kind of has a huge impact on people,” said Devin Robbins, a friend. “She was an amazing person. I don’t even know where to start with her. She was a great role model. She always knows how to make people smile, she’s caring.”

Smith will be in court Monday and could face second-degree murder charges.

We did a search of his criminal background and there’s no history of any violent behavior.

MANKATO, Minn. (AP) — A Minnesota college football coach said he wants to return to work now that a judge has dismissed prosecutors’ claims that video he took of his children playing after a bath amounted to pornography.

A judge sided with Todd Hoffner, head coach at Minnesota State-Mankato, by throwing out the child porn charges against him on Friday. The judge said the cellphone video was nothing more than children playfully dancing naked after a bath.

“I’m just so thankful to be waking up from this nightmare,” Hoffner said after the ruling, which came more than three months after the coach was escorted off a practice field and later arrested.

Now, Hoffner said, he wants to get back on the sideline. But it’s unclear when that may happen.

Hoffner remains on administrative leave and won’t be on the field Saturday when his undefeated Mavericks host Missouri Western in the Division II quarterfinals.

The university said he would remain on leave until its own investigation was complete, and school spokesman Don Benson said he had no timetable as to when that might happen.

Hoffner’s attorney, Jim Fleming, said he believes that university officials “know everything they need to know.”

Hoffner was charged after a school employee found the video on his university-issued cellphone and notified authorities. Hoffner had taken his problematic phone to work to be checked out.

Hoffner testified earlier that his three young children asked him to videotape a skit they had concocted after taking a bubble bath. His wife has defended him, as have supporters who even held candlelight vigils on his behalf.

A search of his home computer found no evidence of child porn, and social workers found no evidence that the couple’s children had been abused. Hoffner said he had never even watched the video.

In her 24-page ruling Friday, Blue Earth County District Judge Krista Jass said she didn’t find any evidence that the videos amounted to pornography.

“The videos under consideration here contain nude images of Defendant’s minor children dancing and acting playful after a bath. That is all they contain,” Jass wrote.

Fleming singled out the assistant county prosecutor who brought the charges, Mike Hanson, saying he “essentially argued that this was child pornography because he knows it when he sees it.”

But Hanson said his office was only trying to enforce a law enacted to protect children.

“No matter what the prosecutor does in a controversial case with a high-profile suspect, they will be criticized. We do not go looking for cases like this, they are brought to us,” the prosecutor said in a statement.

Hoffner, 46, of Eagle Lake, had been charged with one count of using minors in a sexual performance or pornographic work and one count of possessing child pornography.

The circumstances of the case, close on the heels of the Penn State scandal involving sexually abused children and authority figures who didn’t intervene, invited questions about whether the school overreacted.

Fleming said it was for “others to decide” whether the Penn State case played a part in how Hoffner’s case was handled.

“In light of all that’s happened, it would be hard for me to say it wasn’t at least a factor,” the defense attorney said.

This was Hoffner’s fifth year as head football coach at the school, where he had a 34-13 record. He led the Mavericks to the playoffs in 2008 and 2009, and a share of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference title in 2011. He was named NSIC coach of the year in 2009.

Word of the case’s dismissal was starting to spread Friday night on campus the school of about 15,000 students that’s among the state’s largest universities. Sam Moyer, a senior from the Rochester area, said the charges were not a frequent topic of discussion among students.

Still, he said, “I know quite a few people who thought this was just him making family memories — not a sexual act … It’s such a big conclusion to jump to, that he was some sexual predator. That ruins someone’s life.”

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — A Blue Earth Area School bus driver, who was charged with fifth-degree assault after allegedly slapping a child who was making other children cry, has reached a plea deal with the county.

According to the charges, Jane Elizabeth Brooks, 72, of Blue Earth, Minn., had slapped the boy on the cheek after he had spit on, kicked, and made other children on the bus cry. She then said, “Well, maybe that’s what he needed,” when other riders questioned the action.

A judge signed off on a plea deal reached between Brooks and the county attorney and Brooks has accepted a continuance for dismissal. In the deal, Brooks won’t admit guilt, but must have a full year free of assaults, disorderly conduct or related charges. If that happens, the charges will be dismissed.

After the initial incident, some juvenile riders reported that the boy had been bleeding afterward.

The complaint states that the boy had hit another smaller child on the head with a book bag, making the child cry. Brooks stopped the bus and moved the boy to a different seat – the one right behind the bus driver.

The boy then began to kick children across the aisle from him. When Brooks asked older riders to sit with the boy and babysit him, they declined. After contacting the school for assistance, Brooks wasn’t able to receive help, but was told to move other children away from the boy.

As Brooks was doing so, the boy spit on the children in the seat behind him. On the bus’ video, one of the kids can be seen wiping the spittle off her face.

Brooks told the boy not to spit on other children and after he spit yet again, Brooks slapped him.

The video is still being reviewed by the county attorney.

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — The man accused of killing a Cold Spring police officer remains in jail.

Ryan Larson will likely be formally charged on Tuesday for the death of Officer Tom Decker.

Typically, charges are handed down within 36 hours, but a judge approved an extension on Monday to keep him in custody an extra 24 hours.

Larson is accused of shooting and killing officer Decker Thursday evening. Decker was responding to a call that Larson may be suicidal.

Meanwhile, the search continues for the weapon used to kill Officer Decker.

“I think everyone is still stunned, because it’s an awful thing to happen,” said Donna Knaus, of Cold Spring Bakery.

Throughout Cold Spring, the community can think of little else but the shooting that killed a home town officer. But, it’s more than just the loss of life. It’s also the missing weapon used in the shooting.

Over the weekend, investigators have asked for the public’s help in locating the 20-gauge shotgun.

“I think it’s odd they haven’t found it. It’s like where could it be,” said Shelly Foss, who lives in Cold Spring.

Community members have searched their properties looking for the missing weapon. It’s giving everyone the chance to help, at a time when so many feel helpless.

“I think even when you walk around town, you’re looking,” said Knaus.

“When I’m driving, I’m looking for where could the gun be,” said Laura Leither.

Investigators spent Monday searching waterways and neighborhoods near the shooting scene. The weapon that took Officer Decker’s life is also the one item that can start to bring closure to a community.

“With not having the weapon, it’s not finished,” said Knaus.

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — An East Bethel, Minn. horse breeder has been cleared of 35 counts of animal cruelty because searches of his property were conducted without a warrant.

On Dec. 3, Anoka County Judge Sean Gibbs dismissed the charges against Lowell Friday, who was under investigation for allegations that several horses at NV Arabian Horse Ranch were not receiving proper care.

A number of horses were removed from the ranch in September 2011, and seven more horses were taken away a few months later. Of Friday’s 60 horses, only 26 were left after the seizures.

An agent with the Animal Humane Society said at the time of the horses’ removal that there had been “quite a bit of neglect on this farm for some years.”

During an investigation of the ranch conditions, authorities observed excessive accumulation of feces and manure, pens without adequate fencing, sharp objects and other health hazards to the horses. Water in the pens appeared to be full of algae or contaminated.

Veterinarians say they were 200 to 300 pounds underweight, and some had parasites.

One of the horses given a score of one was said to have a severe infestation of lice, chipped and cracked front hooves and was highly malnourished.

Last week, Gibbs dismissed the counts of mistreatment of animals Friday faced, citing a lack of evidence. The judge tossed out all evidence related to the searches of Friday’s property, because they were conducted without a warrant.

Friday previously pleaded guilty to one count of overworking or mistreating animals in 2009.

“There’s a lot of eyes on this farm right now, and I would suspect if there are horses with poor body conditions, scars or other issues going on, we’ll hear about it,” said the Animal Humane Society’s Keith Streff last January.

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — A 27-year-old man has been charged with kidnapping, terroristic threats and false imprisonment after police say he trapped his girlfriend in his car and threatened to kill her.

Authorities say they found William Eugene Lightfoot, of Maplewood, inside his vehicle on Dec. 7, after reporting to a call from his girlfriend who said she escaped from Lightfoot’s vehicle after he was holding her against her will, assaulting her and saying he was going to kill her.

Police found the woman laying on the floor inside a home on the 21000 block of Inga Avenue, near Hampton, Minn. She said she and her boyfriend had been traveling from St. Paul and she told him repeatedly she wanted to get out of the car. She said he refused to let her out, so she fled the vehicle while it was stopped at a stop sign.

The woman said Lightfoot chased after her, grabbed her by the hair and pulled her back into the vehicle. She said she tried to get away again when they were at a gas station but Lightfoot held her in the vehicle.

She said while they were driving, Lightfoot slapped her in the face, punched her in the legs and pulled her hair several times.

As they were driving on Highway 52, she said he told her he “was going to kill” her. She said she told him to make it quick, and he responded “nope, I’m going to torture you.”

The woman said she tried again to escape, this time when the car was moving, and ran into a residence where she called 911.

The woman was transported via ambulance to Regina Medical Center.

Hastings Police located a vehicle matching the description of the one Lightfoot had been driving. When officers attempted to apprehend Lightfoot, he fled.

A K9 eventually located Lightfoot and he was placed under arrest.

Lightfoot’s criminal history indicates at least four prior domestic abuse no contact order convictions over the last 10 years, including two in 2012, one in 2011 and one in 2010.

BURNSVILLE, Minn. (WCCO) – A 52-year-old Burnsville, Minn. woman accused of stabbing her husband in the hand allegedly told officers she wishes she had been the shooter in the recent Connecticut school massacre.

Late Dec. 15, police arrived at a residence on Cliff Road East on a call that Theresa Marie Navratil had stabbed her husband in the hand. She was in the apartment when they arrived, but was intending to leave, the charges state.

Navratil’s husband had a blood-stained towel around his hand and informed officers that they had been drinking earlier in the evening. On the drive home, the two got into a fight. The victim told officers that Navratil “only gets violent when she drinks.”

When they were in bed, the two continued arguing until Navratil got out of bed and went to the kitchen. She grabbed a knife and stabbed her husband, the charges say.

The wound required stitches at Fairview Ridges Hospital.

The victim said that he had been stabbed once before by his wife, but he didn’t report the incident to authorities.

While in custody, Navratil became agitated and started calling an officer a “male pig” and said that she wanted him to “die and burn in hell.” She also told investigators that she understood the shooter in the Newtown, Conn. incident, and that she wished that she had been the shooter.

She is charged with two felony counts of third-degree assault and making terroristic threats, as well as two misdemeanor charges of domestic assault.

MANKATO, Minn. (AP) — A Minnesota state university has reassigned its football coach to an administrative role, a month after he was cleared of child pornography charges that stemmed from cellphone videos of his naked children clowning around after a bath.

An attorney for Todd Hoffner immediately said his client would fight the move and seek reinstatement as head coach at Minnesota State, Mankato.

Hoffner has been given the position of assistant athletic director for facilities development, effective immediately, the university said in a news release issued late Friday. Hoffner would be responsible for helping develop the school’s master plan for athletics and recreation facilities, the university said.

The school has no comment on whether Hoffner’s reassignment was a mutual decision, university spokesman Dan Benson said in an email to the AP.

Hoffner’s civil attorney, Chris Madel, told the Star Tribune that his client has no intentions of abiding by the university’s decision.

“We intend to fight the university until Mr. Hoffner is restored as head coach of the successful football team he created,” Madel told the newspaper.

The Associated Press left phone messages seeking comment by Madel and the attorney for Hoffner’s union Friday night.

The school said Aaron Keen will remain acting head football coach for the Mavericks. Keen acted as head coach all season.

“Minnesota State Mankato will be making additional decisions regarding the head football coach position in the coming weeks,” the news release said.

The Free Press of Mankato reported that Hoffner asked for an injunction earlier this month to keep the police investigative reports in his case sealed after a Twin Cities television station asked to see them. Hoffer is seeking a temporary restraining order that would keep anyone from disseminating the investigative file.

District Court Judge Krista Jass ruled last week that the reports will remain private until they can be reviewed, according to the newspaper.

Jass ordered prosecutors to gather all investigative reports and turn them over to Hoffner’s attorney, Jim Fleming, who has said releasing the documents would “irreparably harm” his client. He’ll be allowed to file a sealed list of information that he believes should be kept from the public. After receiving Fleming’s list, Jass will decide what should remain sealed.

Hoffner was charged with possession of child porn in August after school officials found videos of his naked children on his work-issued cellphone, which he had turned in to be repaired. Jass dismissed the criminal charges last month after concluding that the short videos of his children acting silly after a bath were not child porn and showed nothing illegal.

Last week, the university said Hoffner was no longer on administrative leave but that it hadn’t reinstated him as coach. The university didn’t give reasons for the decision, citing data privacy laws. But the school did say in the statement it was still investigating a complaint against Hoffner. University officials didn’t elaborate.

Connie Howard, an attorney for the union representing Hoffner, told the AP by email last week that Hoffner was being suspended without pay for 20 days starting Jan. 7. She didn’t give the reason for the suspension, but said the union was challenging it.

It’s not clear where the suspension stands now that the university has reassigned Hoffner.

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — A 34-year-old man is charged with second-degree murder after police say he stabbed a man who later died from his injuries.

Police say Rick Martinez, also known as Andrew Riyhadh Terrell, was charged with one count of second-degree murder on Monday. He is currently at the Hennepin County Jail.

NewsRadio 830 WCCO’s Susie Jones Reports

Officers were dispatched to an apartment building around 5:30 p.m. Saturday on a call of a stabbing. The apartment building is located at 5754 33rd Ave. S.

When officers arrived, they found a man with life-threatening injuries, who appeared to have been stabbed.

He was transported to Hennepin County Medical Center where he died several hours later.

Officers spoke with witnesses and located key evidence at the scene. Martinez was arrested on Sunday after he returned to the apartment building and was detained by neighbors.

COON RAPIDS (WCCO) — A 38-year-old Wisconsin man has been accused of threatening to shoot up a Coon Rapids, Minn. hospital earlier this month, according to charges filed.

On the early afternoon of Jan. 2, Coon Rapids police were dispatched to the Behavioral Unit at Mercy Hospital regarding a suicidal patient threatening hospital staff.

When police arrived, they made contact with hospital staff and identified the patient as Laron Lee Bush of Milwaukee. Officers learned that Bush was brought to the hospital after he said he wanted a train to kill him.

The hospital reported to police that Bush became irate when he learned he may be held at the hospital for evaluation. He then began threatening to bring gang members to the hospital and shoot up the whole place. He also specifically threatened to shoot all the staff when he got out, the complaint said.

The staff members took the threats seriously and were concerned that he would follow through on the threats.

Bush now faces one felony count of terroristic threats. If convicted, Bush could face up to five years in prison.

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — A man believed to be part owner of a Burnsville business has been charged with selling drugs inside the establishment.

According to the charges, Joseph Hocini, of Burnsville, was arrested during a search warrant of the business and two separate residences in the city on Jan. 9.

The Dakota County Drug Task Force executed all three search warrants and found various drug paraphernalia, bags of “420 Cubed,” “Spike Max 3g,” pills, cash and drug notes inside the business.

Agents also found two bags of “Spike Max 3g,” drug notes and a prescription pill bottle with various pills on Hocini.

The pills were identified as oxycodone and hydrocodone.

Agents also found a bag of “Spike Max 3g” and a glass marijuana pipe in the glove box of Hocini’s car plus more drug paraphernalia and other drugs inside Hocini’s home.

Two employees at the business told police they sold synthetic cannabinoids for cash out of the business at Hocini’s request.

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – A 29-year-old man Fridley man charged with criminal sexual conduct for allegedly groping an 11-year-old girl at Fridley Wal-Mart has entered a petition for a guilty plea on Tuesday.

Nathan William Charles Jones is scheduled for sentencing at 2 p.m. on March 27.

According to the charges, Jones is accused of touching a girl’s buttocks as she was standing next to her mother and sister in the crowded store.

The complaint states that as Jones grabbed the girl, he leaned in and said, “Excuse me,” and then walked away.

The store’s surveillance cameras captured the incident, which occurred on Dec. 26.

ST. PAUL (WCCO) — A 48-year-old St. Paul man allegedly impersonated a police officer and burglarized victims in the process, according the Ramsey County Attorney’s Office.

Morgan Terrett Wilson entered a house at noon on Feb. 1 claiming to be a St. Paul police officer, a criminal complaint says.

Wilson allegedly displayed a badge and a Taser before asking the homeowner’s 17-year-old son if he had been involved in a robbery. He then handcuffed the teen, took his wallet and looked at his ID. He then took out $70 from the boy’s wallet. He also handcuffed one of the homeowner’s friends. After more questions and searching the house, Wilson left the home with $290. He told the victims he’d come back if the money wasn’t stolen.

The female victim didn’t call police immediately because she thought he was a police officer, but after a while, she became concerned and reported the incident.

The next day, St. Paul police were dispatched to two residences, one on Iglehart Avenue and another on Marshall Avenue, on reports of a man impersonating a police.

Soon after, a K-9 unit was able to track fresh footprints in the snow to a nearby alley, where police observed a man matching the description of the suspect. When Wilson saw police, he tried running but was quickly apprehended.

Wilson denied impersonating a police officer and said he was in the area taking pictures of homes for a client. However, the victims positively identified him as the suspect.

Wilson now faces one count of first-degree burglary and two counts of false imprisonment, which are all felonies. If convicted, he could face a maximum potential sentence of 26 years in prison and/or a $45,000 fine.

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — A 16-year-old Minneapolis boy has been charged with 13 felony counts in connection to Sunday’s south Minneapolis robbery spree, according to the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office.

Farhan Sheihkdon Dhimbil was charged by petition in juvenile court in connection with 10 armed robberies. His case is public because of his age and the fact that the charges are felonies.

Three other boys, ages 15, 14, and 13, are also charged in connection to some of those robberies, but their cases are not public since they are younger than 16.

According to authorities, starting at 2:50 p.m. and ending at 7:20 p.m., Dhimbil and others used a car to travel around south Minneapolis to rob mostly women. In every case, they used a black Phantom BB handgun and demanded the women’s purses. They took cash, but were mostly looking for cell phones, which they intended to sell.

The robbery spree ended after a woman was robbed on 1831 Clinton Ave. S. Responding police officers saw a car matching the description and turned around to give chase. When they caught up, the car hit another parked vehicle and the four occupants were running away.

Police caught three of them, including Dhimbil. The car was reported stolen earlier that day.

Prosecutors will seek to try Dhimbil as an adult.

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – A 32-year-old man has been charged with sexually assaulting teen girls he met on social media sites while working as a Minneapolis Police officer, including one he allegedly got intoxicated before assaulting.

Officer Bradley Schnickel was arrested Wednesday for criminal sexual conduct. On Friday, a judge set bail at $500,000, or $250,000 on the condition that he would not be allowed to have any contact with any juvenile females, including his own daughters. Schnickel took the $250,000 option.

He posted bail on the $250,000 amount. That means he was released with conditions that include not being able to see his two children.

On Friday afternoon, an Anoka County Jail administrator confirmed that Schnickel posted bond just before 3 p.m. and was released.

Schnickel faces six felony counts, including two counts of third-degree criminal sexual conduct and one count of attempted third-degree criminal sexual conduct, as well as three further counts of engaging in electronic communication relating to or describing sexual conduct with a child.

The charges carry a maximum prison sentence of 46 1/2 years.

Not long after the charges were filed, Minneapolis Police Department PIO Sgt. Stephen McCarty tweeted: “Schnickel is not employed by the City, his last date of employment is February 8, 2013.”

Investigators said they don’t believe they’re even a third of the way through all of the information they have in the case. Deputies were looking at Schnickel’s online communications, and the Anoka County Sheriff’s Office says social media sites have turned over more than 9,000 pages of online communications.

Among the details in the criminal complaint, investigators say that they know of separate incidents involving at least four different girls, all of whom were either 13 or 14 years old at the time of the assaults. In some cases, he had sexual contact with them. In others, he sent sexually suggestive messages and nude pictures. He also asked them to send naked photos, too. He repeatedly told the girls he was younger than he actually was and used aliases “Brady and Brian Schmidt.”

Authorities said when Schnickel figured out that police were investigating him last month, he went back to the victims and told them to deny everything.

In a written statement, Minneapolis’ police chief said if the allegations are true, they are “horrific and (go) against everything the department represents, our core values and our mission.”