Cliff Buchan
News Editor

Activities by vandals and thieves filled the Forest Lake police blotter this week.

Officers here received a number of reports of vandalism to vehicles and fishhouses and thefts.

Sgt. Ron Hanegraaf said police received three reports of vandalism and thefts from ice shacks and suspects others may have been hit, but not reported to police.

On dry ground, police have received reports of the theft of a cell phone and a purse from vehicles during the past week.

The Duffy Development-HSI housing project on SE 11th Ave. was also the target of vandals, police said.

In two separate incidents last week, construction workers on the townhome project reported vandalism to a construction trailer where windows were broken and the breakage of four windows in one of the new buildings going up.

The incidents were reported on Feb. 16.

Hanegraaf encouraged local residents to remove valuables from vehicles parked outside and lock the vehicles. And don't leave vehicles running unattended, the officer said.

A visitor to Forest Lake learned that lesson the hard way, Hanegraaf said.

On Tuesday at 6:30 a.m., police were called to Country Inn & Suites, 1954 W. Broadway on a report of a stolen auto.

Police said Cynthia Kay Brandt of Roseau, who was staying at the motel, had started her vehicle and left it running as she went back to her hotel room to gather her belongings.

When she returned, the 2000 Chrysler was gone.

Along with the car, Brandt reported the loss of a Dell brand laptop computer belonging to Polaris Industries that had value of $1000.

Arrest made

Police last week were able to catch a suspected auto thief, but it took a county canine unit and foot chase before the man was in custody.

On Feb. 13, police here received a report that a 1996 Mercury Marquis was stolen from the back lot at Blacksmith’s Auto Body, 21438 Forest Blvd. sometime after 8:30 a.m.

A police officer on patrol at 6 a.m. the next day spotted the stolen car at 200th St. N. and Enfield Ct. N. A subject driving the car fled on foot as the officers attempted to stop the car, police said.

After a one-hour-plus foot chase that included a Washington County canine team in the area of Forest Lake Motor Sports south of TH-97 in Columbus, a Forest Lake officer arrested Dana Michael Gene Wilson, 19, of 5022 N. 207th St., Forest Lake.

After being taken to Fairview Lakes Medical Center in Wyoming for treatment of possible frostbite, Wilson was taken to the Washington County Jail in Stillwater.

He was held on probable cause of possession of stolen property and fleeing police on foot.

Crash impacts I-35

A fatal two-vehicle crash on I-35W southbound in Lino Lakes last Friday resulted in traffic delays here as the southbound lanes to Minneapolis were closed for six hours. Southbound vehicles were routed over I-35E.

According to the Minnesota State Patrol, a northbound 2007 Nissan Murano driven by Micah A. Rosenthal, 30, of Minneapolis, crossed through the center median at Milepost 38 and collided head-on with a southbound logging semi driven by Kelly D. Koch, 42, of Tripoli, WI.

Rosenthal was killed in the 7:50 a.m. collision. Koch received minor injuries after his semi rolled following the crash.

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