Cliff Buchan
News Editor

A Level II sex offender was arrested in Forest Lake last week on three outstanding felony warrants.

Chief of Police Clark Quiring said officers acting on information from the public went to 21183 Everton Ave. N. on Feb. 7 where Lane Francis Weitzel, 42, was reported living.

Weitzel was wanted on felony warrants in Ramsey, Anoka and Kanabec counties for failure to register as a predatory offender, Quiring said.

When Weitzel came to the door on Feb. 7 to talk to police, he quickly shut and locked the door, Quiring said. Officers forced open the door and found Weitzel hiding in a closet. He was taken to the Washington County Jail in Stillwater.

Under state law, a convicted sex offender is required to register with local authorities who in turn notify the state Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. “He (Weitzel) obviously knew he had failed to do that (register) as he had left the other areas,” Quiring said.

The chief stated police were investigating another crime when they received the tip that Weitzel had moved to the area. He had not registered with Forest Lake police, the chief confirmed.

Police arrest 3

In two separate incidents last week, police here made three arrests.

On Monday at 3:48 a.m., a police officer on patrol observed a car parked at the Holiday Station, 1208 W. Broadway, that had been reported stolen in Duluth.

Officers arrested Tiffany J. Zieman, 20, of Stanchfield on a felony charge of possession of stolen property. She was the driver of a 1995 Mitsubishi Eclipse stolen earlier in Duluth, police said.

A passenger in the car, Detphongsone Outhaaphay, 40, of Carver, was arrested on a charge of fifth-degree possession of a controlled substance, methamphetamine.

An arrest on Sunday involved the son of a state senator from Forest Lake.

At 11:56 p.m., an officer on patrol observed a pickup truck that had driven through Lakeside Memorial Park, plowed through the orange shoreline winter fence and became hung up on the shoreline rocks.

At the scene, police arrested Paul R. Vandeveer, 23, of 1344 SE Baypoint Drive on charges of third-degree driving while intoxicated and test refusal.

He is the son of District 52 State Sen. Ray Vandeveer of Forest Lake.

Quiring said city officials are evaluating the public park and shoreline to determine damages from the vehicle driving across the grounds. A tow truck was also needed to pull the pickup off the rocks.

Man hurt in fall

A Forest Lake area man wound up in Regions Hospital on Saturday after falling 18 feet while inspecting a job site.

Police said Paul Tetrault, 40, of 16757 Vassar St., was injured in a fall at the former Forest Theater Building, 119 N. Lake St. Tetrault was inspecting a roof area for possible repairs when he fell 18 feet.

Police said Tetrault was at the Forest Laker, 131 N. Lake St. when medical personnel were called. Police said Tetrault’s speech was slurred and he appeared disoriented and was ill.

He was taken by ambulance to Regions Hospital in St. Paul, police said.

Crash kills power

Some parts of Forest Lake were without electricity for up to seven hours on Feb. 7 after a vehicle crash at 7:26 a.m. on TH-97 west of Forest Blvd.

Police said a car went in the north side ditch and took down a power pole. Minutes later, a semi-truck on TH-97 hit the low-hanging wires, knocking out power to the south side of Forest Lake.

There were no serious injuries nor charges in the crash.

Areas to the north of TH-97 saw power restored in several hours, but areas to the south of the highway did not get their power back until 3 p.m.

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