Cliff Buchan
News Editor

A dispute over a taxi cab fare early Sunday morning has resulted in assault charges against two, one of the passengers and the taxi driver.

The dispute unfolded around 1:30 a.m. Sunday when police in Forest Lake and Wyoming were called to northbound I-35 at US-8 to intervene.

At the scene, police found Rachel Marie Parlin, 23, of Stacy, in a confrontation with Lakes Taxi owner Barbara Sterns, 43, of 8200 Scandia Trail N., Forest Lake.

Sterns was an unsuccessful Forest Lake City Council candidate in the Nov. 6 local election.

According to police reports, Sterns picked up Parlin and a friend, Jeffrey A. Cortez Jr., 22, of 1243 SW 11th Ave. at the Upperdeck Bar and Grill, 55 S. Lake St. and was to drive them to Parlinís home in Stacy.

Police records said Parlin began arguing with Sterns over the amount the fare would be for the drive to Stacy.

When the dispute continued, Sterns stopped the taxi on the freeway and asked the two passengers to get out, the report said.

When Parlin refused to leave the cab, Sterns attempted to pull her from the cab, Parlin alleges in the police report. During the incident, Parlin is accused of socking Sterns in the mouth, according to police reports.

Wyoming officers were the first on the scene and turned over the dispute to Forest Lake officers.

Forest Lake police reports said Cortez attempted to calm the situation by giving Sterns a $30 downpayment for the fare, but the dispute escalated.

Chief of Police Clark Quiring said Parlin was issued a misdemeanor citation for fifth-degree assault for her alleged punch of Sterns.

Sterns was also cited for misdemeanor fifth-degree assault for allegedly attempting to physically remove Parlin from the cab, the chief said.

In a perfect world, Quiring said potential cab fares should ask about rates before getting in a cab. Safety issues are also involved when people are asked to get out of a cab on a dark freeway, the chief said.

Forest Lake officers took the two to the Stacy home.

ìObviously we are not going to leave them out on the freeway,î the chief said.

Other police news

In other police news, officers here:

ïAssisted with a medical call for help at 20240 Keats Ave. N. at 4 p.m. after a man reportedly fell 12 feet from a ladder. Thomas L. Olson, 55, was found breathing but unconscious. He was airlifted from the residential area by North Air Care to Regions Medical Center in St. Paul.

ïArrested Eugene M. Satterlund, 33, of 7748 N. 214th St. on felony charges of third-degree controlled substance possession with intent to distribute and third-degree controlled substance possession of methamphetamine after he was stopped by officers on patrol at 1:16 a.m. Sunday.

Quiring said officers made the stop after making a random license plate check after the vehicle Satterlund was driving was observed on W. Broadway. The check confirmed the man was wanted for Minnesota Department of Corrections warrant for parole violation. After making the stop, officers found several bags of a white substance that tested positive for methamphetamine, the police chief said.

Satterlund was taken to the Washington County Jail in Stillwater on the DOC warrant and for formal charging on the drug offenses, Quiring said.

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Forest Lake Times
P.O. Box 218
880 SW 15 St.
Forest Lake, MN 55025
651-464-4601
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