MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – Authorities shot and wounded a man outside a home in northeastern Minnesota after he was suspected of stabbing a toddler Tuesday night, according to the St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office.

Authorities said the incident happened at about 5:30 p.m. at a residence in the city of Babbitt. Police responded to a report of a disturbance at the home, and when they arrived, the man was armed with a knife and came out of the home with a 3-year-old girl.

Officers called for back-up, then shot the suspect. The 27-year-old man and the girl were taken to a hospital in Ely. There was no immediate word on either of their conditions.

MOORHEAD, Minn. (AP) — The owner of 32 dead snakes found in a storage locker near Dilworth faces a felony charge of mistreating animals by torture.

Forty-nine-year-old Henry Atherton also is charged with depriving food and shelter and abandoning the snakes.

A criminal complaint in Clay County District Court says Atherton brought the snakes to western Minnesota from Florida. Atherton told investigators he planned to sell the snakes but he wasn’t able to find them homes, so he placed them in the storage locker.

The ball pythons were discovered last week when deputies were called to investigate an odor.

A home telephone number for Atherton could not be found. KFGO-AM reports Atherton’s first court appearance is scheduled for Feb. 14.

(© Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

HOPKINS, Minn. (WCCO) — A convicted murderer likely thought he did everything right to keep from getting caught except he left behind microscopic cells on his victim’s body.

The murder victim, Irene Kunze, never had a chance.

This gentle, trusting woman who was active in her church and devoted to her family was murdered in the summer of 2008.

Her daughter, Rena St. Cyr, called 911 after finding her mother dead in her Hopkins apartment three years ago.

“I went halfway down the hallway and I found her in her bedroom,” St. Cyr recalled.

Kunze had been stabbed to death with a kitchen knife and then dragged between rooms.

“I remember that feeling so well. I just couldn’t believe what I was seeing,” St. Cyr said.

Hopkins Police initially responded to the scene. The Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office followed.

“Why would somebody do this to a 90-year-old lady?” said Hennepin County Sgt. Steve Labatt.

When Labatt got to the ransacked apartment, he realized there wasn’t much evidence to collect, except for Kunze herself.

“We’re brainstorming ideas, talking things out loud. Who’s going to do what; looking at Irene’s body and her position. And the idea comes up, ‘Let’s swab her body,’” Labatt said.

Labatt had used this same technique before by swabbing evidence in property crimes for microscopic skin cells that suspect’s shed at crime scenes.

But investigators had never swabbed for shed skin cells on a person. Labatt was going to take a chance.

“Just imagined grabbing somebody’s hands to drag them from head first down a hall. How would you hold those hands? How would you hold those wrists?” Labatt said.

Crime scene technicians went to work in the field swabbing for evidence much like they do in the lab. Authorities swabbed Lunze’s hands, wrists, elbows, the back of her knees and ankles.

“When we collect DNA samples, either from the victim or from the crime scene or pieces of evidence, the genetic profile is analyzed here,” said Hennepin County Sheriff Rich Stanek, inside the county’s crime lab.

Skins cells collected from Kunze’s left elbow yielded someone else’s DNA, which was a major break in this case.

Forensic scientists compared that sample to some DNA samples Hopkins Police obtained from persons of interest.

They got their match: Corey Posley-Wells, a convicted felon who was recently released from prison after an armed robbery conviction.

But there was still one problem. Police knew Posley-Wells was at the complex the day of the crime but they still needed to place him in Kunze’s apartment.

Hopkins Police brought Posley-Wells in for questioning, hoping he’d confess.

During the interview, he told detectives he wanted money. He told them he saw Kunze taking out the trash and thought she looked like a good target.

Posley-Wells told police he pushed open her apartment door, she fell and he attacked her.

“I told her, I said, ‘I’m sorry, but I can’t fight these voices in my head.’ I said, ‘I can’t. I can’t fight the drug,’” Posley-Wells said, during the police interview.

Investigators now had enough evidence to bring to the Hennepin County Attorney.

He was charged and convicted of first-degree murder and is now serving a life sentence in prison.

Posley-Wells is also the first murder suspect convicted in Minnesota as a result of Touch-DNA evidence — those tiny cells he left behind on Kunze’s elbow. It’s evidence Labatt thought to collect at the murder scene.

“I would call it a breakthrough,” Labatt said.

Labatt now teaches other police officers statewide about this case, hoping they can use Touch-DNA to solve more violent crimes in Minnesota.

“And other crimes can be solved in the future, because of this one being a groundbreaking case. That feels good to us,” St. Cyr said.

It’s the only comfort she feels from her mother’s murder that July night.

She was the woman who loved her grandchildren and hoped to make the world a better place.

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A hearing is scheduled for Tuesday for Vikings cornerback Chris Cook, accused of trying to choke his girlfriend.

Cook was charged in October with one count of domestic assault by strangulation. Earlier this month, prosecutors added another charge of third-degree assault, after learning the victim suffered a perforated ear drum and has experienced hearing loss.

The new charge carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a $10,000 fine.

The criminal complaint says Cook became upset and attacked the woman on Oct. 22 after she spoke to an ex-boyfriend.

Cook’s attorney has asked that the case be dismissed for lack of probable cause. Tuesday’s hearing will likely address that issue.

The Vikings suspended Cook without pay for two weeks. He’s been reinstated, but isn’t playing or practicing.

(© Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

ST. PAUL (WCCO) — St. Paul Police are looking for two men who robbed a Goodwill store.

Officers said it happened around 7 p.m. Monday at the Goodwill on University Ave.

At least one man was armed and a shot was fired, according to reports from the Pioneer Press.

No one was injured.

Police said the men took off with cash from the store’s office.

Investigators said they don’t have a good description of the robbers.

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — A judge will determine the fate of a man accused of killing a transgendered person in Minneapolis.

Arnold Waukazo is charged with first degree premeditated murder in the death of 45-year-old Krissy Bates, who previously went by the name Christopher Paul Bates.

Waukazo, 41, is accused of strangling and stabbing Bates in her apartment in January. It was the first homicide in 2011 for the City of Minneapolis.

The two had apparently been dating for about a week.

Waukazo waived his right to a jury trial, so a Hennepin County Judge will hand down his verdict.

That’s scheduled to happen at 1 p.m. on Tuesday at the Hennepin County Government Center.

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — A University of Minnesota student was the victim of an armed robbery in the Marcy-Holmes neighborhood, according to a university crime alert.

The robbery took place around 10:30 p.m. on Friday, off campus on 7th Street Southeast between 13th Avenue Southeast and 14th Avenue Southeast.

The suspects allegedly came up behind the student, pushed him to the ground and held him down, while threatening him with a handgun and demanding valuables. Two of the suspects went through the man’s pockets.

The student was not injured in the attack but reported losing a number of items.

The three suspects are described as black men, ages 17 to 21, about 5-foot-7 to 5-foot-11 with light to medium builds. The suspect with the gun was wearing dark clothing and a black jacket, with a short fade haircut.

The Minneapolis Police are investigating the robbery. Anyone with information is asked to call the Minneapolis Police Department tip line at (612) 692-8477, reference case number MP-11-348465.

ST. PAUL, Minn. (WCCO) — A St. Paul woman has been sentenced to probation and community service for a crash that killed a mother, her son and another child.

Brittany Rose Mertz, 22, was sentenced to one year of probation, 200 hours of community service and must complete a safe driving course. She was also ordered to pay restitution to the victims.

Mertz was convicted of careless driving in connection with an April 17, 2008 crash in Inver Grove Heights that killed 30-year-old Brittany Beth Carlson of Zumbrota, her 2-year-old son, Brandon, and 4-year-old Tamaya Phillips of Minneapolis. Two other children in Carlson’s vehicle were seriously injured.

According to the criminal complaint, the accident occurred on Highway 52 near 117th Street when the vehicle Mertz was driving crossed through the median and struck the vehicle Carlson was driving.

Mertz was acquitted in October on charges of criminal vehicular homicide, criminal vehicular operation and reckless driving.

Dakota County Attorney James Backstrom requested that Mertz serve 90 days in jail, which would have been the maximum sentence.

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Minnesota Vikings cornerback Chris Cook plans to claim self-defense as he fights charges stemming from an altercation with his girlfriend.

Attorney David Valentini said at a court hearing Tuesday that Cook would contest two felony charges, which include domestic assault by strangulation and third-degree assault. A criminal complaint said Cook attacked the woman Oct. 22 after she spoke to an ex-boyfriend.

Valentini says the alleged victim has recanted her allegation that Cook tried to strangle her. Prosecutors say they intend to pursue both charges.

Cook has been reinstated by the Vikings after a two-week suspension, but he isn’t playing or practicing with the team.

Cook’s next hearing is Jan. 13, with a trial date set for March 5.

(© Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

CHANHASSEN, Minn. (WCCO) — A 32-year-old man, who was assaulted Tuesday, was taken into custody after he later pistol-whipped one of his attackers and fired several rounds.

Police say Chhun Pheakdey was leaving his night shift at Emerson Rosemount around 1:30 a.m. when he was assaulted by several people. During the assault, police say Pheakdey was punched and kicked in the face and head. Pheakdey is believed to be “affiliated” with the Asian Boys Gang, according to officials.

Police say when the assailants ran off, Pheakdey allegedly chased and pistol-whipped one of the men before firing several rounds. Bullet casings were recovered by Carver County deputies near the scene but it appears no one was injured in the shooting.

Pheakdey was transported to a medical center for treatment of his injuries, before being arrested and booked into the Carver County Jail.

Police continue to investigate the incident. Anyone with information is asked to call (952) 361-1212.

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – An Alexandria couple is accused of failing to file taxes and failing to pay taxes owed to the state of Minnesota, according to charges filed Tuesday by the Douglas County Attorney’s Office.

Robert Leo Thompson was charged with 21 felony counts for failure to remit tax returns and failure to pay taxes owed to the state. His wife, Susan Thompson, has been charged with eight felony counts for failure to remit tax returns or payments.

According to the Minnesota Department of Revenue, tax liabilities are owed individually and through the couple’s several businesses. The department of revenue estimates that the Thompsons and their companies owe the state of Minnesota more than $222,000.

Another criminal count alleges that Robert Thompson purchased an RV for $189,900 and registered the vehicle in Montana to avoid a 6.5 percent sales tax in Minnesota.

The Douglas County Attorney’s Office said the case is still under investigation.

HOPKINS, Minn. (WCCO) – The Hopkins Police Department is looking for the public’s help in identifying a suspect who was involved in the armed robbery of a Walgreen’s on Sunday.

Police said the incident happened at about 8:48 a.m. at the Walgreen’s on the 500 block of Blake Road North in Hopkins. When authorities arrived, staff at the pharmacy told police that a white man approached the counter, displayed a gun a demanded prescription narcotics.

The suspect is described as a white male in his late 20s or early 30s, about 5 feet, 11 inches tall with a thin build. The man had a scruffy beard and teeth described as “yellow” and “crooked.” He was also wearing a hooded jacket lined with fur at the time of the robbery.

Anyone with information about the suspects or who can identify the man is asked to call Hopkins Police at (952) 938-8885.

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – A 41-year-old man was found guilty of second-degree murder Tuesday in connection with the Jan. 11 death of a transgendered person in Minneapolis, the first homicide of the year.

Arnold Waukazo was arrested Jan. 19 and charged with second-degree murder in the incident.

According to court documents, Minneapolis Police were called to a home on the 1300 block of Linden Avenue at about 3 p.m. on Jan. 11 on a report of a medical emergency. When authorities arrived, the caretaker of the building entered an apartment and found a resident, later identified as 45-year-old Christopher Paul Bates, dead on the floor. More recently, the victim went by the name Krissy Bates.

Authorities at the scene observed that the victim had possible stab wounds. The Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s Office ruled Bates’s death a homicide the next day.

Waukazo is scheduled to be sentenced in Hennepin County Court on Dec. 27.

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — An armed man walked into a Minneapolis bank and demanded cash Tuesday afternoon, according to FBI.

At approximately 1:30 p.m., the FBI said the robber entered Bremer Bank located on 3001 Hennepin Ave. S. and demanded cash from the teller. After receiving the cash, the man fled.

He exited the bank to a parking ramp, where he left in a white 2005 to 2008 Crossover-style vehicle, the FBI said.

The robber is described as a 5-foot-10 white man in his late 20s to early 30s with a thin build and. He was wearing a black hooded sweatshirt, blue jeans, black shoes and a black ski mask.

The FBI said the man is suspected in several other metro robberies.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the FBI at 612-376-3200 or the Minneapolis Police Department.

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – The family of a great grandmother who was killed about a year ago in a hit-and-run is now offering a reward to find the person responsible.

Mintrawattie Dhannu was hit and killed last November, and the driver left her badly hurt and bleeding on the street. Her family is now offering a $25,000 reward to find the driver.

Dhannu was trying to cross West Lake Street at Blaisdell Avenue in Minneapolis when an SUV hit her, dragged her for about 10 feet and then fled the scene. The vehicle involved in the incident is described as a white Yukon or Suburban.

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call Minneapolis Police.

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — The saying goes, one man’s trash is another man’s treasure and in this economy, that’s certainly true. People search for scrap to make a quick buck. But taking trash is against Minneapolis city ordinance and neighbors want to stop these so-called Alley Trawlers.

“They’ll usually stop and dig through the trash a little bit,” said Minneapolis resident Stan Levitz.

His neighbor has seen them, too.

“On a routine basis there’s pickup trucks that come through the alleys, usually before garbage pick-up, looking for scraps,” said Minneapolis resident Ross Chavez.

Most search for metal or recycling; items they can turn in for fast cash. But that’s sometimes done in a hurry.

“They’ll make a mess up here and that’s not really cool,” said Levitz.

Neighbors say they try to be patient, knowing most of the time it’s the economy pushing families to rifle through garbage on the curb.

“I understand that people are trying to make money any way they can now, but it’s kind of a nuisance to the neighborhood,” said Chavez.

Some worry this small act could turn into a larger crime.

“I wish they’d leave the bins alone because people’s personal papers can be in there and that kind of thing. It just leaves too much open for the criminal element,” said Levitz.

Chavez also believes it could lead to more bold acts.

“We’ve had an increase in residential burglaries in this area as well,” said Chavez.

While there’s no way to tell if the two are connected, people here are calling for action.

People are only supposed to be in the alley if they have a reason, like walking to and from their home. Once a person sets out something in the trash, no one else can take it without the owner’s permission.

If you see something suspicious in Minneapolis, call police or dial 311, where you can get detailed information to find out if what you’re seeing is against city ord

LAKEVILLE, Minn. (WCCO) — A 29-year-old Minneapolis man is accused of stealing purses from the cars of mothers dropping their children off at a Lakeville day care.

Jeffrey Michael Super has been charged with four felony counts, including theft, burglary and making fraudulent financial transactions.

The purses were stolen in late September from at least three different cars.

WCCO-TV talked to a Lakeville woman who was victimized by the same thief on three separate occasions. Janelle Iverson came home to find her things ransacked on the same day her purse was stolen.

Police believe Super broke in through Iverson’s window and then pulled his car into the garage where he proceeded to load the stolen goods. Iverson estimates he stole around $10,000 in items. In addition to ripping three flat-screen TVs off the wall, he stole laptops, electronic goods and even personal items.

“My driver’s license, all my credit cards, my birth certificate, my passport, all my son’ s information,” Iverson said.

Using the spare set of keys the suspect found in Iverson’s purse, he came back and stole her car out of her driveway while she was in the house.

“Your neighbors don’t always notice everything,” Iverson said.

Lakeville Police tracked down the activity on stolen credit cards and used surveillance to find Super. According to the criminal complaint, Super admitted to the thefts and burglary, and said he used the stolen items to get drugs.

“The idea that somebody’s touched things you would never even show your closest friend or family member, and then you just feel like it’s such a violation,” Iverson said.

Super was charged last week with four felony counts including theft, burglary and making fraudulent financial transactions.

Super was arrested in October for another stolen car and a police chase. He also was convicted of receiving stolen property in 2007.

If convicted, Super could face up to 10 years in prison.

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — The video of a UC-Davis police officer spraying pepper spray in the faces of protesters has outrage many. Now, the officer and his chief are both on administrative leave. So, is pepper spray safe and what’s in it?

“I mean it’s a derivative of actual pepper. It’s a food product essentially,” said Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly.

Brooklyn Park Police Inspector Mark Bruley agreed. In fact, on the side of the canister of the Defense Technology MK-9 product it says, “Food Grade Ingredient.”

“It’s cayenne pepper,” said Bruley. “It’s real name is Oleoresin Capsicum, we call it OC.”

But make no mistake — this is powerful stuff. Every rookie cop in Brooklyn Park is sprayed with it, and every year officers are exposed to it, so they know what it’s like, said Bruley.

“It hurts. It feels like you can’t breathe, but you absolutely can breathe, you’re taking in oxygen,” he said.

The Postal Service started using pepper spray, on dogs. It’s only been approved for police since 1992.

“It’s an intermediate weapon. They have to look at it and see, if I use this what would happen,” he explained.

For example: “You go into a bar, a guy’s out of control, wants to fight. You spray him, move him arrest him. that’s what it’s for, a stream, for one person,” said Bruley.

The Scoville scale measures how hot peppers are. The bell pepper is a zero. A jalapeno rates a 3,500. The cayenne can be 50,000 units. Pepper spray is usually around 2 million units, which is 570 times hotter than a jalapeno.

Even though your eyes burn and swell for 30 minutes, researchers have found getting sprayed once doesn’t lead to any vision problems. Pepper spray works by getting into the cells in the outer layer of the cornea, and those cells repair themselves fairly quickly.

However, repeated exposures can lead to permanent damage to the cornea.

Pepper spray manufacturers suggests spraying from at least 6 feet away, and it only works when you spray the eyes, nose or mouth.

“If I spray someone in the chest, they’ll wonder why they’re so wet,” said Bruley.

People with asthma or breathing problems can have adverse effects from being pepper sprayed. There are also some deaths that have been linked to pepper spray, although it’s often difficult to make a direct connection, considering the people who get sprayed are often under the influence of narcotics or alcohol.

So, it may not be the OC that’s the problem. Researchers aren’t sure of the impact of repeated exposure of some of the chemicals used as a propellant to make the pepper spray, spray.

“It is very safe,” said Bruley.

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO/AP) — An Albert Lea teenager who pleaded guilty to killing his family’s dog was sentenced to 90 to 120 days in an out-of home placement.

The prosecuting attorney said that the 17-year-old pleaded guilty Monday to a felony count of mistreating an animal.

The teen admitted to killing the family Chihuahua with a brick in October after an officer found the dog next to a cinder block in a pool of blood.

According to police, one of brothers of the 17-year-old told them his brother had been upset lately because the family had recently given away one of the dog’s puppies.

When confronted, police said the teen admitted to killing the dog and said he has “unpredictable behavior.”

(TM and © Copyright 2011 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2011 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

MANKATO, Minn. (WCCO/KEYC) – A Mankato couple’s home was burglarized while the two were attending a funeral, as reported by KEYC-TV in Mankato.

Chuck and Roxanne Schwab said they were attending the funeral of a family member in Janesville when someone broke into their house.

“We just sat there going, ‘Really?’,” said Roxanne Schwab.

The couple got married at the beginning of October, but had their reception only a few days ago. Unfortunately, Chuck Schwab’s father passed away last week, and the newlyweds were attending his funeral.

The burglar or burglars left almost everything, except for cash. The Schwabs’ wedding cards had cash in them, there was money on their dresser. The money from their adult foster resident’s lockbox, which included his savings for Christmas shopping, was also taken.

“Kind of like they knew exactly what to go for — in and out very quickly,” said Roxanne Schwab. “Makes sense to me. How much more obvious that a house is going to be empty? Everyone goes to the funeral.”

Shocking as it might seem, Waseca County authorities say it isn’t uncommon for burglars to strike during a funeral.

“In the obituaries, it’s right in the paper,” said Sheriff Brad Milbrath. “All the family is involved the day of funeral or when the wake is going on, so they pretty much can predict that they won’t be around.”

Although most of their money was taken, the Schwabs regret not being able to thank the ones who sent the cards that were stolen, but they’re hoping getting the word out will help prevent further break-ins.